Egypt has retained its position as the country with the largest hotel-development pipeline in Africa for a ninth consecutive year, with 185 projects comprising 45,984 rooms in 2026. The data, published by the Cabinet Media Centre, was compiled from W Hospitality Group's 18th annual Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa report. The report drew on information from 53 international and African hotel chains. Egypt's pipeline expanded to 143 hotels and 33,926 rooms in 2025, up 29.4 percent in properties and 35.5 percent in rooms.
The Egyptian hotel pipeline now accounts for about 37 percent of Africa's entire pipeline of 123,846 rooms across 675 hotels and resorts. The continental total increased by 18.6 percent from 2025, while North Africa's pipeline grew by 27 percent, compared with 11 percent in sub-Saharan Africa. Egypt's lead over other African markets is substantial, with second-placed Morocco having 75 hotels containing 10,606 rooms. This means Egypt's pipeline has more than four times as many rooms as Morocco's.
Nigeria ranks third with 8,480 rooms across 57 hotels, followed by Kenya with 6,190 rooms in 35 properties and Ethiopia with 5,964 rooms across 34 hotels. Cape Verde, Tunisia, Tanzania, South Africa, and Ghana complete the continent's top 10. Egypt and Morocco together account for more than 45 percent of all rooms in Africa's hotel-development pipeline. The report also noted that Egypt signed 39 new deals in 2025.
Hotel chains anticipate opening 33 properties in Egypt in 2026. However, Egypt's lead in planned capacity does not translate directly into the highest construction rate. Around 23,622 Egyptian pipeline rooms, or 51.4 percent of the total, were classified as under construction on site. This compares with 64.7 percent in Morocco, 79.5 percent in Kenya, and 79.9 percent in Ethiopia.
Egypt's pipeline has grown more than threefold in terms of hotels since 2018, when it comprised 43 properties and 13,600 rooms. The expansion comes as Egypt builds on its record 2025 performance, when it received nearly 19 million tourists, up about 21 percent from 2024. The country is targeting 30 million tourists annually by 2030.
The government has encouraged private investors to expand hotel capacity to support this target. Tourism is a key source of foreign currency for Egypt, while the sector's direct contribution to GDP reached a decade-high of 3.7 percent in FY2024/25. The World Travel and Tourism Council expects Egypt's travel and tourism sector to grow by three percent in 2026.
The International Monetary Fund projects tourism receipts to increase to $19.9 billion in FY2025/26, rising to $20.8 billion in FY2026/27 and $22.9 billion in FY2027/28. A later independent assessment by Lodging Econometrics placed Egypt's hotel-construction pipeline at a record 167 projects comprising 35,185 rooms at the end of the second quarter, up 31 percent and 25 percent year on year, respectively.
Key points
- Egypt has 185 hotel projects in its pipeline, with 45,984 rooms.
- The country's hotel pipeline accounts for about 37 percent of Africa's entire pipeline.
- Egypt aims to attract 30 million tourists annually by 2030.
