Egypt’s ‘new capital’ Azha to offer luxury waterside living

The Chile-based company Crystal Lagoons is deploying its expertise in huge manmade white sand-lined 'seas' at its latest development in the luxury Egypt project.

Crystal Lagoons’ impression of the world’s largest manmade lagoon in Dubai. Courtesy Crystal Lagoons

If you crave an Egyptian seaside retreat but do not have direct access to the ocean, Crystal Lagoons, an international water innovation company based in Chile, can bring the idyllic beach lifestyle to you.

For its latest Egypt project two linked lagoons will cover a total area in excess 16 hectares, spanning 6.4 hectares and 10.2 hectares, with completion expected at the end of 2018, Crystal Lagoons said.

“The lagoons will play a vital role in the appeal of Azha, a high-end waterfront luxury residential development that is being described as ‘the new capital of Egypt’, on the increasingly popular western Red Sea coast,” said the firm, which is also behind what would be the world’s largest manmade lagoon, in Dubai at Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City – District One.

The 1.6 million square metre Egyptian development will feature a five-star line-up of luxurious amenities including village residences, hotels and serviced apartments, a golf course and clubhouse, shops, community centres, a beach club, sports facilities and parks is expected to be fully operational by 2020. The lagoons, which will be the centre piece of the project, will provide ample space for a range of watersports including swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding and windsurfing.

“We are delighted to be working with Madaar Development to bring the idyllic lifestyle of the beach to Azha,” said Carlos Salas, the regional director Middle East for Crystal Lagoons.

The announcement marks Crystal Lagoons’ 11th project in Egypt, which is emerging as a key market for the world-leading leisure amenity.

The company currently holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest lagoon, in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt, at 12.2 hectares.

“We’ve witnessed incredible growth in Egypt in the last two years and the country is now our fifth largest market with several projects in the pipeline to increase our presence further. We are not only adding to the aesthetic appeal of a destination, but providing practical recreational and leisure facilities, such as paddle boarding, sailing and kayaking, at low construction and maintenance costs that adds real value to the resort,” added Mr Salas.

The large lagoons use 30 times less water than a similar sized golf course and half of the water required to irrigate a park of equivalent size. Designed to be self-cleaning, they use up to 100 times less chemicals than traditional systems and only 2 per cent of the energy required by conventional filtering technologies, making them incredibly sustainable, the firm said. Furthermore, the company has recently unveiled a new film-based evaporation technology, which lowers water-waste rates by up to 70 per cent, it said.

“We have developed our patented technology and a proven business model to add significant value to a development at a very low cost, and provide substantial ROI for the developer,” said Mr Salas. “Globally we are providing a viable, affordable long-term solution, despite climate and geographical challenges. The proposition is particularly apt considering we can use any kind of water including brackish from underground aquifers, eliminating the need to consume valuable fresh water resources, something particularly pertinent to our partners in the Middle East.”

Crystal Lagoons currently has over 600 projects, in various stages of development and negotiation, in 60 countries worldwide.

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