Arab Finance: Egypt's real estate sector has emerged as a regional powerhouse, attracting substantial foreign investment and strong interest from Egyptian expatriates. The diaspora now accounts for approximately one-third of property sales in the country, according to the Official Egyptian Real Estate Platform. This growing demand has fuelled a major expansion wave, with numerous Egyptian developers announcing plans to enter Gulf markets in 2024.

Uptown 6 October Real Estate Development is among the companies targeting this expansion, with a particular focus on Egyptians working abroad. To understand how the company is positioning itself in this competitive landscape, we spoke with Moataz Shaarawy, Vice Chairman and Co-CEO of Uptown 6 October. He discussed the company's ISO-certified quality standards, innovative approaches such as fractional ownership to attract diaspora investment, and the strategic rationale behind expanding into Dubai's highly competitive market.

1-Uptown 6 October recently received the ISO 9001:2015 certification for quality management systems. How does this certification impact your operational strategy and client trust?

Obtaining the ISO 9001:2015 certification marks a significant milestone in Uptown’s journey toward operational excellence. It reflects our unwavering commitment to the highest quality standards at every stage of real estate development.

From an operational perspective, the certification substantially improved our internal processes. We now have documented systems and clear standards for every operation, from planning and design to execution and customer service. This ensures consistency in our product quality and reduces errors and delays.

Regarding client trust, we’ve noticed a tangible positive impact. The ISO certification gives clients confidence that their investment is in safe hands and that the project will be delivered according to the highest international standards. The certification also helped strengthen our competitive position, especially with our regional expansion in the UAE, where international certifications are highly valued.

2-The Company’s mission is to create "integrated townships." How does this model differentiate Uptown 6 October from competitors in the Egyptian and regional markets?

The township concept is the core of our real estate development philosophy. It sets us apart from traditional competitors who focus solely on residential projects. An “integrated city” means a vibrant community where residents can live, work, and enjoy themselves, all within the same environment.

At Uptown October, we have diverse residential units, international schools, an integrated medical complex, commercial centers, extensive green spaces, and sports facilities.

What distinguishes us further is our Flexible Design, which allows residential units to adapt to changing family needs. Clients can modify their units according to family growth or changing circumstances. This model achieves several competitive advantages:

• Higher and sustainable property value.
• Distinguished quality of life for residents.
• Better investment returns for investors.
• Environmental sustainability through integrated planning.

In the regional market, this concept receives great acceptance, especially from Gulf investors who appreciate integrated and sustainable projects.

3-Recent news highlights your partnerships with Fawry for digital payment solutions and Emtalak for fractional real estate ownership. Could you elaborate on how these partnerships will transform the customer experience and open up new investment opportunities for a wider audience?

These two partnerships represent a qualitative leap in our strategy to expand our customer base and improve the real estate investment experience.

Fawry Digital Solutions: This allows customers to pay their instalments and payments seamlessly through all Fawry outlets across Egypt, which exceed 200,000 points. This provides exceptional convenience and reduces traditional banking complexities.

Emtelaak Fractional Ownership: This partnership is truly revolutionary. It allows investors to purchase shares in properties starting from 5%, with the possibility of obtaining investment returns from rent and property value appreciation. This opens the field to a wide segment of investors who may not have been able to purchase an entire unit previously.

We expect a high increase in sales over the next two years, as fractional ownership targets an entirely new segment of investors. We also expect significant improvement in payment rates and installment compliance thanks to the ease of payment through Fawry. These partnerships position us at the forefront of companies adopting modern financial technology and aligning with the demands of the digital age.

4-The completion of 100% of the essential infrastructure in the Uptown October City project is a major milestone. What does this achievement mean for the project's timeline, and what is the next phase of development for this flagship community?

Completing 100% of the infrastructure represents a decisive turning point for the Uptown October project. This achievement means we now have complete networks for electricity, water, sewage, communications, and internal roads, ensuring quality of life from the first moment residents move in.

This achievement puts us in a very advanced position, where we can now focus entirely on delivering residential units and service facilities without worrying about infrastructure. We expect to accelerate our delivery pace by 25% in the upcoming period.

The next phase includes:

• Completing Educational Projects: Opening the Kingdom of Knowledge school, with investments of EGP 1.3 billion, in partnership with GSM International.
• Medical Complex: Finishing the hospital design and license with 120-bed capacity, with investments exceeding EGP 2.5 billion.
• Grand Uptown Mall: Developing the commercial center on an area of 90,000 square meters, with investments exceeding EGP 5 billion over the next five years, in partnership with international commercial institutions.
• Recreational and Sports Facilities: Finishing sports clubs, green spaces, and family entertainment areas design and license.
• Service Projects: Developing power and gas stations and recreational and service projects.

5-The Egyptian real estate market has shown resilience and growth, particularly in the first quarter of 2025. What is your outlook on the current market dynamics, including demand for residential and commercial properties, and the impact of economic factors on the sector?

The Egyptian real estate market is indeed witnessing strong and sustainable growth. We are seeing increasing demand for high-quality properties, especially integrated projects that provide real value. Customers seek projects that offer a distinguished quality of life.

• Residential Sector: Demand is very strong, especially in the middle and upper segments. We see great interest in units in new cities that enjoy advanced urban planning and strong infrastructure.
• Commercial Sector: It is witnessing notable growth, especially with improved economic conditions and increased consumption. Integrated commercial centers are achieving excellent returns.

Key economic factors are:

• Exchange rate stability contributed to cost and price stability.
• Lower interest rates made real estate financing more attractive.
• Government policies support real estate investment.
• Egyptian economic growth and improved income levels.

The biggest challenge is the rise in construction material costs, but we address this through strategic partnerships and improved operational efficiency. The great opportunity lies in the expected growth of tourism and foreign investment. We expect continued growth of around 12-15% annually over the next two years, with demand concentrated on high-quality and integrated projects

6-With residential property prices rising significantly, how is Uptown 6 October navigating the challenge of affordability?

Affordability is a real challenge, and we address it proactively and innovatively through several strategies:

• Through our partnership with Emtalak, customers can purchase shares starting from 1 sqm in properties, opening the field to a wider segment of investors and buyers.
• We offer payment plans of up to six years with low down payments, and collaborate with banks to extend innovative financing solutions for up to 25 years.
• Our portfolio includes units of diverse sizes and finishing levels to suit different budgets, from smart studios to luxury villas.

Instead of competing on price alone, we focus on providing real value through complete infrastructure, educational and medical facilities, green spaces, and integrated services. Our partnership with Fawry facilitates the payment process, and our partnerships with financing entities provide diverse options for customers. We invest in technological solutions that reduce costs and improve efficiency, enabling us to offer competitive prices

7-Can you share recent figures on Uptown 6 October revenue growth and overall financial performance?

We are proud of the strong financial performance achieved by Uptown October over the past year. We achieved revenue growth of 50% compared to the previous year, driven by strong sales in the Uptown October project and the initial returns from investments in commercial and service facilities.

Our total current investments exceed EGP 14 billion, distributed across:

• Kingdom of Knowledge educational project: EGP 1.3 billion.
• Grand Uptown Mall: Over EGP 5 billion over five years.
• Medical complex and hospital: Over EGP 2.5 billion.
• Residential projects and facilities: The remaining amount.

We maintain a strong financial position with a zero-debt ratio, as all our project lands are fully paid and allocated by the New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA). This gives us significant financial flexibility.

We also plan new financing instruments in cooperation with the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA), such as sukuk offerings and share subscriptions, with listing plans on the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) within three years after completing diverse projects.

This strong financial performance enables us to continue investing in development and expansion, both locally and regionally

8-The partnership with Sky Capstone Property to expand in the UAE is a key strategic move. Can you explain the specific business rationale behind this push into the Dubai market?

The partnership with Sky Capstone Property represents a pivotal step in our regional expansion strategy.

• Dubai is one of the most important real estate markets in the region. Our presence there reduces dependence on the Egyptian market alone and provides diversified revenue sources.
• Sky Capstone has deep experience in the UAE market and a precise understanding of investor and resident needs, which accelerates our market entry process.
• Dubai is our gateway to reach Gulf investors who form an important segment of our customers in Egypt, creating integration between the two markets.
• The township model we apply in Egypt receives great admiration in Dubai, especially with the focus on sustainability and flexible design.
• We have a real estate representative office in the UAE since 2023 that actively engages in investor relations and company expansion, providing us with a strong base for launch.

9-What unique value proposition does an Egyptian developer like Uptown 6 October offer to investors in the highly competitive Dubai real estate landscape?

As an Egyptian developer, we bring a unique set of competitive advantages that distinguish us in the UAE market:

• Our experience in the Egyptian market features diverse challenges and opportunities. It gave us flexibility and the ability to adapt to different market conditions, which is very useful in Dubai’s dynamic environment.
• Our experience in achieving a balance between high quality and reasonable cost enables us to offer competitive products to the UAE investors.
• Our partnerships with international companies like GSM for education and international commercial center management companies add significant value to our projects.
• Our experience in fractional ownership and digital payment solutions offers innovative investment options for investors in Dubai.

We offer high quality at competitive prices, making our projects attractive to investors seeking strong returns.

10-A significant portion of your international focus is on the Egyptian diaspora. How do you tailor your marketing and sales efforts to this specific demographic?

Egyptians abroad represent a very important strategic segment for us, and we have a marketing strategy specifically tailored to this distinguished group. Egyptians abroad seek safe investment in their homeland, a place to return to, and a means to maintain a connection with Egypt. We understand this emotional dimension and build upon it.

Our representative office in the UAE serves Egyptians residing there, and we plan to open an office in Saudi Arabia, where large Egyptian communities are concentrated.

Due to our strategic efforts, Egyptians abroad represent about 30% of our sales, with a service satisfaction rate exceeding 95%. Our goal is to be the first choice for Egyptians abroad when they think about real estate investment in Egypt.

11-Operating in both Egypt and Dubai means navigating two very different market environments and trends. What lessons have you learned from one market that you have been able to apply to the other?

Operating in two different markets, like Egypt and Dubai, provides a unique opportunity for learning and growth, and we have benefited greatly from this diversity.

• In Egypt, we learned that families grow and their needs change, so we developed the flexible design concept.
• The Egyptian market taught us how to achieve a balance between quality and cost, which is very useful in Dubai, where price competition is intense.
• Dubai raised our standards in quality and finishes, which reflected positively on our projects in Egypt.
• The UAE market is more technologically advanced, which pushed us to develop advanced digital solutions that we now apply in Egypt.
• Customer service standards in Dubai are very high, which raised the level of our services in Egypt.

In Dubai, we learned the importance of partnerships with international companies, which we applied with GSM for education and commercial center management companies. Both markets appreciate sustainability, so we focus on energy, water efficiency, and smart technologies.

This diversity in experiences made us a stronger and more flexible company, capable of providing products and services that meet the needs of investors in diverse markets. Our presence in two different markets reduces risks and provides multiple growth opportunities.

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