SOM's masterplan for Alam Al Roum, a new lagoon city on Egypt's coast

SOM has shown plans for Alam Al Roum, an entirely new city on Egypt's north coast near Marsa Matrouh. It would run 7.2 kilometres along the Mediterranean and cover 20.6 square kilometres. Its defining idea is water: swimmable lagoons, plus 22 kilometres of lagoons connected to the sea that thread through the streets and help handle stormwater. SOM principal Thomas Hussey calls it a rare chance to build a city from scratch that answers to climate change.

The plan turns buildings and public spaces towards coastal breezes and sunlight. The whole development sits raised to cope with shifting shorelines, and the edges are softened with wetlands, stabilised dunes and living shorelines rather than hard walls. A grand boulevard links an international marina to a mobility hub inland. The waterfront downtown is to have a cultural pier, a lighthouse, an amphitheatre, a yacht club, a mosque and markets, alongside resorts, golf, an education district and a business hub.

The developer, Qatari Diar, wants a city that lives all year rather than a seasonal resort. This is a press-ready masterplan, not a place to visit: the first four-square-kilometre phase is expected to start in 2030. One to follow if you are curious about how new coastal cities are being imagined.

Our summary of a story from Dezeen, published 5 November 2026. Read the original

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