Sarai New Cairo compound: a self-contained city on the Suez Road around Cairo's largest lagoon
5.5 million sqm drawn by Benoy as integrated villages around a 10,000 sqm crystal lagoon — Sarai is not a compound in the usual sense, but a complete city five minutes from the New Administrative Capital.
What is Sarai New Cairo?
Sarai New Cairo is Madinet Masr's flagship integrated residential compound on the Cairo–Suez Road at Mostakbal City, spanning roughly 5.5 million sqm (about 1,300 feddan). Developer prices start from EGP 4,073,758, with phases handed over on a rolling schedule between 2026 and 2029.
When Madinet Masr commissioned global design studio Benoy to create Sarai's master plan, the brief was different from any conventional compound: turn 5.5 million sqm on the Suez Road into a real city that works on foot. The answer came as integrated villages — each residential pocket spanning about 100 feddans with its own architectural character, from the Tuscan-inspired Sheya Residence to the modern lines of Esse — so every neighbourhood lives with an identity that does not repeat.
Only 18% of the plan is built-up, leaving 82% as open space shared by gardens totaling around 300 feddans and a swimmable Crystal Lagoons lake of 10,000 sqm — the largest of its kind in Cairo — surrounded by restaurants, cafés and water activities. On 100,000 sqm stands the Sarai Sports Club with its courts and halls, while a 2,600-metre equestrian track cuts through the project along with walking and cycling paths.
Sarai is also a project that completes slowly and deliberately: the early phases — Taval, Eastwave and Cavana Lakes — are inhabited today, while the newer launches (Elan, Sheya, Esse, Club Views, Elm Tree Park, Vienta) continue to draw the remaining neighbourhoods, with construction contracts exceeding EGP 4.8 billion for a single phase. Core & shell delivery gives the owner freedom to finish to taste — a deliberate choice by a developer that knows its residents are building homes for decades, not units for a season.
Sarai location: Kilometre 45 on the Suez Road — the closest point to the New Administrative Capital
Sarai New Cairo occupies Kilometre 45 on the Cairo–Suez Road, right at the Al-Amal Axis junction inside Mostakbal City and directly beside Madinaty. From the gate, the New Administrative Capital is about a 5-minute drive, the American University in New Cairo roughly 10 minutes, and the Ring Road close to 15 minutes.
Sarai sits at Kilometre 45 directly on the Cairo–Suez Road, in the golden triangle between the Fifth Settlement, Madinaty and the New Administrative Capital. Its main entrance is at the intersection of the Suez Road with Al-Amal Axis, and the Regional and Middle Ring Roads link it to the rest of Greater Cairo — making it practically the "middle address" for those who work in the New Capital but want to live in east Cairo.
The surrounding real-estate market is heavy-weight: Madinaty to the west, New Capital Gardens by Palm Hills, and Mountain View, Mountain View iCity, and Alsha in the Mostakbal City orbit — an area on track to become one of east Cairo's most complete density clusters over the next five years.
| Destination | Approx. time |
|---|---|
| New Administrative Capital | ~5 minutes |
| American University in New Cairo | ~10 minutes |
| Ring Road | ~15 minutes |
| Madinaty | directly adjacent |
| Cairo International Airport | 15–30 minutes |
| Heliopolis / Nasr City | ~30 minutes |
Sarai master plan: a map of 14 villages around one lake
Global studio Benoy designed Sarai New Cairo's master plan across 5.5 million sqm, organising the land into more than 14 self-contained "villages" clustered around the 10,000 sqm Crystal Lagoons lake. Only 18% of the total area is built up, leaving the rest to gardens, water features and shared amenities.
The original drawing by Benoy: notice how the crystal lagoon (top left) embraces the first villages, while newer neighbourhoods extend east toward Al-Amal Axis.
Reading the plan: the Suez Road borders the plan to the north; the western villages (Taval, Eastwave) are the oldest and inhabited, while the eastern ones include the newest launches such as Elm Tree Park and Vienta.
Sarai's fourteen phases — from Taval to Vienta
Sarai New Cairo's rollout spans 14-plus residential and commercial phases. The earliest four — Taval, Eastwave, Varana and Cavana Lakes — are fully delivered and already trading on the resale market, while ten newer phases, from Rai through Vienta, are still under construction with handovers scheduled out to 2030.
The older phases — Taval, Eastwave, Varana and Cavana Lakes — are almost fully sold and their units now change hands in the resale market. The table below shows prices for the launches running today.
Unit types available at Sarai
Sarai currently releases units between 55 and 343 m², with one to four bedrooms; larger layouts add a maid's room and two guest rooms. What separates one unit from another here is rarely the floor area alone — it is the village it sits in, what it looks onto, and when it hands over.
| Type | Bedrooms | Villages releasing it | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 1 | Croons · Elm Tree Park | The smallest way into the project, with rental demand from people working in the Administrative Capital |
| Apartment | 1 – 3 | Elan · Sheya · ESSE · Club Views | A family that wants a complete village without villa economics |
| Loft and duplex | 2 – 4 | Sheya · Elm Tree Park | Anyone after living space over two levels with its own entrance |
| Townhouse | 3 – 4 | RAI · RAI Valley | A private garden at less than standalone-villa cost |
| S-Villa | 3 – 4 | RAI · RAI Views | A Madinet Masr design holding an innovation patent: two villas stacked, each with a separate entrance and garden |
| Standalone villa | 4 + maid's room | Cavana Lakes · RAI | The top tier here, mostly on the waterfront |
Ask for the drawing of the specific unit before you reserve: plot number, orientation, net built area against garden area, and how far it sits from the village gate. Two units of identical size can price very differently depending on phase and outlook.
Sarai prices July 2026 — by area and unit type
Sarai New Cairo prices start from EGP 4,073,758, with Vienta studios (38–72 sqm) the lowest entry point from EGP 3.8 million. Two- and three-bedroom apartments run roughly EGP 5.8–9 million, and townhouses or standalone villas reach EGP 14.2–17 million depending on phase and size.
| Unit type | Typical area | Price starts from (EGP) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio / 1 bedroom | 38–72 m² | 3,800,000 | Vienta, Croons and Elm Tree Park |
| 2-bedroom apartment | 100–115 m² | 5,800,000 | Sheya, Vienta and Esse |
| 3-bedroom apartment | 124–165 m² | 9,000,000 | Elm Tree Park and Esse |
| Duplex | 137–220 m² | 13,070,000 | Traded across the whole project |
| Townhouse | 160–206 m² | 14,200,000 | Rai and Rai Valley |
| S-Villa | 212–239 m² | 13,700,000 | Rai 13.65M — Rai Views 22.5M |
| Standalone villa | 175–440 m² | 17,060,000 | Cavana Lakes resale from ~33M |
| Resale units (all types) | various | 2,300,000 | Active market in delivered phases |
The average price per sqm in the project is EGP 58,350. The table above sets out the starting price for each unit type.
Payment plans at Sarai
The plan Madinet Masr publishes for Sarai today is ownership with no down payment and instalments running to 12 years — the lightest cash position at contract. Other villages keep a 5% down payment against eight years, shortening the commitment in exchange for a larger first cheque.
The practical rule when comparing: ask for the total you will have paid by the final instalment, not the monthly figure. A longer term lowers the instalment and raises the total; a shorter one does the reverse. Add the maintenance deposit and its due date, because it is collected outside the instalment schedule.
Handover timing at Sarai
Handover at Sarai cannot be read at project level, because the villages launched years apart. The earliest ones are handed over and lived in, so you can walk them before buying; the villages the developer is releasing now carry a schedule of four years from the contract date.
- Handed over and occupied: Taval, Eastwave, Cavana Lakes — immediate viewing and an active resale market
- Four years from contract: Elm Tree Park, Club Views, ESSE, Sheya
Put handover in the contract as a fixed date rather than an estimated duration, and tie it to a written late penalty. If moving in soon is the priority, the delivered villages are the only route that involves no waiting.
Amenities and services at Sarai
Sarai's services are built around water, sport and schooling — the three things that set the rhythm of a day inside the project:
- A swimmable lagoon of 10,000 m² at 1.4 m depth — the largest swimming lagoon in Cairo, and shallow enough to stay safe for children
- Sports and social club — equipped halls and play areas a short walk from the units rather than at the far edge of the site
- Running and cycling tracks — routed through the residential fabric itself, so no car trip is needed to start a workout
- International schools — run through global education partnerships on site, removing a daily trip beyond the gates
- Mosque — among the core services placed close to the units
- Retail frontage — D2N and Tajed Community covering daily needs and dining
Madinet Masr's role in Sarai
Sarai is the largest thing Madinet Masr has ever brought to market. It was unveiled in 2017 as the company's step east — from Nasr City, which it was founded in 1959 to build, to the far side of New Cairo alongside the Administrative Capital. The bet was that the Cairo–Suez corridor would become the next residential artery, and the biggest villages in the portfolio were committed to it.
It has traded on the Egyptian Exchange since 1996, and reports 27,116 units sold, 29 projects and a land bank of 12,827,091 m². What matters to a Sarai buyer specifically is narrower than any of that: the villages already handed over inside this project — Taval, Eastwave, Cavana Lakes — are standing and occupied, so build quality here can be inspected rather than promised.
Latest Sarai updates — through July 2026
- 2026-Q1
Contracting alliances to accelerate Elan and Rai
Sarai New Cairo posted a wave of contracting deals in Q1 2026 to speed up delivery of current phases: contracts with El-Sewedy Electric (infrastructure worth EGP 400 million) and El-Shorouk Construction (81 buildings worth EGP 4.8 billion) to speed up delivery of current phases.
- 2025-10
Elm Tree Park launch
Sarai's largest new phase: 476,262 sqm with around 2,150 units, EGP 11 billion investment and targeted sales of EGP 20 billion — studio instalments start from EGP 5,094 per month.
- 2025-06
Club Views construction begins
Actual execution started for the Club Views phase adjacent to the sports club, with delivery targeted in December 2028.
- 2025-01
Esse Residence launch
The eco-community phase on 400,000 sqm with expected sales of EGP 18.2 billion, cash discount plans up to 54% and delivery within 4 years.
- 2024-08
SCAD MoU for Croons worth EGP 650 million
Signing of a memorandum of understanding for construction works in the Croons phase (26,000 sqm) — the project's smallest studios, delivery December 2026.
- 2024-04
Sheya Residence achieves EGP 5.3 billion in sales
The Tuscan-inspired phase launched in April 2024 recorded total sales of EGP 5.3 billion within months of its release.
Sarai in pictures — from the lagoon to the facades
Sarai New Cairo's photo set below captures the compound's defining spaces: the crystal lagoon at the centre of the master plan, modern apartment facades across the delivered phases, green walking paths, interior design highlights, and the everyday leisure areas residents use across Taval, Eastwave and Cavana Lakes.
Questions buyers ask about Sarai
Where exactly is Sarai compound located?
Sarai New Cairo compound is located at Kilometre 45 on the Cairo–Suez Road directly, at its intersection with Al-Amal Axis, within Future City (Mostakbal City) and next to Madinaty. The location is about 5 minutes from the New Administrative Capital, 10 minutes from the American University in New Cairo, and 15 minutes from the Ring Road — making it a strategic bridge between east Cairo and the New Capital.
What do units at Sarai cost now?
Developer unit prices start from about EGP 4,073,758, while the Vienta phase offers studios from EGP 3.8 million as the lowest current entry point. Two-bedroom apartments range between EGP 5.8 and 8.8 million, standalone villas start from about EGP 17 million, while the resale market starts from EGP 2.3 million for older units. Prices move monthly, so we recommend confirming the current price with the sales team.
How much is the price per sqm at Sarai?
The average price per sqm in Sarai is about EGP 58,350, an increase of more than 176% over previous years — one of the highest growth rates in east Cairo. The average naturally varies by phase: apartments in Vienta and Elm Tree Park start from about EGP 70–80 thousand per sqm, while waterfront villas in Cavana Lakes exceed these averages by a wide margin.
What are the payment and installment plans in Sarai?
Plans vary by phase and offer: the most common in 2026 is a 5% down payment with installments up to 10–12 years and the first installment after one year from contracting, with 0% down payment offers available in selected phases, and 10% down over 8 years. The Vienta phase offers a down payment starting from 1.5% over 12 years. For cash payments, discounts reach 50–54% of the total value — among the largest discounts currently on the market.
What are the phases of Sarai compound?
The master plan includes more than 14 phases: Taval and Eastwave (the first two, delivered), Cavana Lakes on the lagoon, Rai, Rai Valley and Rai Views for villas, Croons for studios, then the newer launches: Elan, Sheya Residence, Esse Residence, Club Views, Elm Tree Park and Vienta. Commercially, the project includes The Arena Strip Mall and D2N Mall. Each phase has its own architectural character, payment plan and delivery date.
Is there ready-to-move-in property in Sarai compound?
The early phases — Taval, Eastwave and Cavana Lakes — are delivered and already inhabited, with resale units available for immediate occupancy direct from owners. As for new developer launches, delivery dates are scheduled: Croons in December 2026, Elan during 2028, Club Views in December 2028, and Sheya, Esse, Elm Tree Park and Vienta between 2029 and 2030, all delivered as core & shell.
What is the difference between Cavana Lakes, Elan and Esse Residence?
Cavana Lakes is the phase of villas overlooking the crystal lagoon — a luxury delivered phase where resale prices start from about EGP 33 million. Elan is a modern apartments and duplex phase (80–130 m²) starting from EGP 4.6 million with 5% down up to 12 years, currently being executed by major contracting alliances. Esse Residence is a January 2025 launch on 400,000 m² with an eco-community concept, apartments from EGP 6 million with cash discounts up to 54%.
Is Sarai a good investment?
Indicators say yes, with measured caution: the average price per sqm in the project has grown more than 176%, and the developer is publicly traded and delivered 1,941 units in 2025 — reducing execution risk. The location between the New Administrative Capital and New Cairo ensures continuous demand for sale and rent. But like any real estate investment, return depends on the phase, unit type and purchase timing; delivered units generate immediate rental income while new ones bet on capital growth.
Who is the real estate developer of Sarai compound?
Sarai's developer is Madinet Masr for Housing & Development (MNHD) — formerly known as Nasr City for Housing & Development — founded in 1959 by presidential decree, its shares on the Egyptian Exchange since 1996 under ticker MASR.CA. The company is the historic developer of Nasr City, owns a freehold land bank exceeding 12.8 million sqm, and achieved its highest-ever sales in 2025: EGP 52.1 billion.
What is the area of Sarai compound and what are the most prominent master plan features?
Sarai extends over about 5.5 million sqm (around 1,300 feddans) with a built-up ratio of only 18% and the rest green and water spaces. The master plan is designed by the global Benoy studio, dividing the project into integrated "villages" each of about 100 feddans with independent architectural character. The plan includes a 10,000 m² Crystal Lagoons lagoon — the largest of its kind in Cairo — alongside a 100,000 m² sports club and a 2,600-metre equestrian track.