Simply Abu Dhabi XXXI

2 4 1 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I envisage how the residential offerings, hotels and lifestyle facilities will cohere into a private, authentic and tranquil haven. Situated on a pristine stretch of peninsula that was formerly military land, Luštica Bay covers 1,700 acres and is a €1.1 billion joint venture between Orascom development Ltd. (90%) and the government of Montenegro (10%). Orascom has remarkable form when it comes to creating thriving towns and communities from essentially empty land. Led by the visionary construction magnate Samih Sawiris, the company’s first project transformed a patch of desert in Sawiris’ home country of Egypt into an award-winning environmentally friendly tourist resort that has been lauded for its green credentials by the United Nations – El Gouna, on Egypt’s Red Sea coast. Mr. Sawiris explains, “El Gouna started off as a plan for a few villas and a marina for sailors and fishermen. In my wildest imagination, I would never have believed this 500,000-square- metre project would ultimately cover nearly 40,000,000 square metres and house 30,000 residents.” With endearing self-deprecation Sawiris adds, “The philosophy of Orascom development and Luštica Bay has evolved out of many mistakes I’ve made along the way. I can arrogantly claim that there is no one alive who’s made so many mistakes – I can write the book.”