When Robert De Niro spoke about this latest expansion, he first brought up something that's long bothered him: for years, developers have slapped the Nobu name on their building facades to add a touch of prestige, without ever actually partnering with the brand. This time in Egypt, Nobu Hospitality is making sure the name comes with real ownership and design authority.
Nobu Hospitality co-founders Robert De Niro and Meir Teper, along with CEO Trevor Horwell, have joined forces with Egyptian real estate company SODIC to unveil an expansion plan spanning three cities. The project encompasses hotels, branded residences, and signature dining venues in New Cairo, Ras El Hekma on the Mediterranean coast, and New Zayed in West Cairo.
New Cairo Opens Restaurant First, Hotel Set for 2027
In New Cairo's Eastown District, a signature restaurant has already opened as a precursor to the upcoming hotel, which is slated to debut in 2027.
OGAMI on the Mediterranean Coast: Rockwell Group Designs 440-Acre Beachfront Community
At Ras El Hekma, Nobu Hospitality serves as the anchor brand for the 440-acre OGAMI development. A seasonal restaurant is already operating at the beachfront site, with hotel and branded residences to follow. The overall design, led by Rockwell Group, blends Japanese minimalism with Mediterranean sensibilities, echoing the brand's signature "Kokoro" philosophy of hospitality. The masterplan recently earned recognition at the 2025 Architecture Leaders Awards.
The third location is in New Zayed, West Cairo, which will feature hotel rooms and private residences, situated about a 20-minute drive from the Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum. Teper noted that the brand's evolution from single hotels to full lifestyle communities happened naturally—after several successful hotel projects, developers began approaching the brand directly, requesting tower projects paired with branded residences.
The Nobu name traces back to the late 1980s, when De Niro lived across the street from chef Nobu Matsuhisa's restaurant in Los Angeles. The two partnered to open their first restaurant together in New York in 1994. Today, Nobu operates nearly 60 dining locations worldwide, alongside a rapidly expanding hospitality portfolio. This integrated community development in Egypt is seen as a pivotal step in the brand's evolution from standalone restaurants to large-scale real estate ventures.
Full pricing and room specifications for all three Egyptian locations have not yet been disclosed, with further details expected from the brand and SODIC in due course.
