The Egyptian General Company for Tourism and Hotels (EGOTH), affiliated to the Ministry of Public Enterprises Sector, had contracted with Al-Sharif to develop, finance, operate, and manage the hotel according to international standards. The contract includes the construction of a 14-storey extension to the hotel on an area of 1,000 square metres, and a garage of up to four underground floors in the new building, in addition to the development and rehabilitation works of the main building of the hotel. Adel Wali, Executive Managing Director of the Holding Company for Tourism and Hotels (HOTAC), said that cooperation with Al-Sharif comes within the framework of Egypt's plan to revive untapped assets while preserving its historical character and cultural value, adding that with the diversity of Egyptian tourist destinations and the revitalization of Historic Cairo, it has become necessary to have hotels that accommodate the expected numbers of tourists and at the same time meet their needs in the presence of luxury hotels. Al-Sharif Ibn Abdul-Hakim Al-Sharif, CEO of Al-Sharif Group, said that the company is proud of its role in developing the hotel because of its historical status, in addition to its charming location in the heart of historic Cairo on the Egyptian Nile. "Therefore, we seek to mobilize all our capabilities, and choose the best business partners, which is evident in the selection of SIAC Company to carry out the contracting work for the Shepherd Hotel, due to its leadership in Egypt and the Middle East," he said. Al-Sharif carried out a number of works related to the renovation and development of the hotel, including the dewatering of groundwater under the site, electrical works in the garage to be built, the construction of concrete walls lined with a depth of 23 metres, and the addition of 90 concrete foundations to distribute the load on the main building, as well as renovations within the main building, and the renovation of the swimming pools. Nihad Ragab, Chairperson of the SIAC, a member of the Building and Construction Export Council, said that SIAC is one of the largest companies in the field of construction and building locally and regionally, and it possesses the necessary competencies and expertise to carry out works with the highest quality according to the specified time programs, and it also has experience in executing projects in the hotel sector in Egypt, Djibouti, and Yemen. The Shepheard Hotel is considered one of the oldest historical hotels in Egypt. It was founded in 1841 AD and was located in the Azbakeya neighbourhood and was burned in the Cairo fire. The current Shepherd Hotel was rebuilt in the Garden City area in front of the Nile River, which is classified as one of the oldest hotels on the regional level. Al-Sharif has recently signed a number of agreements with international consultants to develop and restore the Shepherd Hotel, including Silver Fox to design restaurants and cafes, Barrow and ASG energy companies to carry out electrical works, French designer Sybil de Margerie, and Echo civil consultant company for the project, Hill International, Al-Amar Consulting Group representing the owner, RMC Architectural Consultant, and DPA Lighting Design. The Shepheard Hotel witnessed many important historical events. In 1869, Cairo's celebrations of the grand opening of the Suez Canal were held in one of the hotel's grand halls, and Khedive Ismail hosted a dinner in the hotel in honor of the French Empress Eugenie, after which the hotel became the preferred place to stay for leaders, kings, presidents and eminent personalities in the world, as it was the seat of Arab delegations that I came to Egypt to announce the establishment of the League of Arab States in 1946. With the reopening of the hotel scheduled for 2024, it will be managed by the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, which manages 34 hotels and 7 residential complexes in 24 countries around the world.
