Designing a city is not simply about planning what comes next. It is about understanding what already exists and creating a vision that allows a place to grow without losing its identity.

Set within the mountains of South Sinai, Saint Catherine presents a unique urban development challenge. Its distinctive landscape, existing communities, tourism potential, and cultural identity require a strategic approach where new opportunities complement the character of the city rather than compete with it.

This was at the heart of ECG’s contribution to the Strategic Plan for Saint Catherine, commissioned by the New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA). The vision looks at the city as a complete urban environment, creating a framework for its expansion to approximately 1,500 acres and a population of around 12,000 people.

Rather than focusing on isolated developments, the plan brings together the different elements needed for a growing city. A new administrative complex and security facilities are complemented by an investment zone featuring a youth center, a mountain tourism resort, and commercial bazaars. Together, these projects introduce new opportunities for tourism, investment, recreation, and community life.

The plan also looks carefully at what already makes Saint Catherine unique. In Wadi Al-Deir, landscape improvements are combined with pedestrian and camel paths, lighting networks, a camel shelter, and the renovation of an existing security checkpoint. In the residential area west of the city, development extends across approximately 130 acres, with improvements to internal roads and paths, landscape works, community facilities, and guidelines for the future development of existing buildings.

This combination of new development and enhancement of existing areas is what gives the vision its distinctive character. The objective is not simply to expand Saint Catherine, but to create stronger connections between its people, landscape, infrastructure, tourism opportunities, and everyday life.

ECG’s multidisciplinary role covered urban, architectural, engineering, and landscape design, alongside tender documentation and construction supervision, allowing the different layers of the city to be considered as part of one integrated vision.

This project reflects ECG’s approach to urban development: creating opportunities for growth while respecting the identity, landscape, and communities that define a place. Through integrated multidisciplinary expertise, ECG helps translate long-term development ambitions into frameworks that connect people, infrastructure, investment, tourism, and everyday life, supporting a more resilient and sustainable future for Saint Catherine.