From the dining rooms of his famous restaurants to hotels and private residences: Nobu is once again expanding the boundaries of its universe and has chosen Egypt for one of its most ambitious expansions. Nobu Hospitality co-founders Robert De Niro and Meir Teper, along with CEO Trevor Horwell, have announced a project comprising three new luxury destinations. The initiative stems from a partnership with SODIC, one of Egypt’s leading real estate developers, and will bring the Nobu brand to three strategic locations across the country. The project will combine hospitality, residential properties, and dining, with the aim of capitalizing on the growing international demand for high-end stays in Egypt. This decision comes at a time of significant transformation for the country, driven by new foreign investment and major infrastructure projects. Investors include groups from the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, while destinations such as the Mediterranean coast are playing an increasingly important role in the luxury tourism landscape.
But let’s take a look at the history of this now-famous chain. The story of Nobu and Robert De Niro began in the late 1980s, when the actor lived across the street from chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s restaurant in Los Angeles: that encounter gave rise to a partnership destined to become a true hospitality empire. The first Nobu restaurant in New York opened in 1994. Today, the group operates nearly 60 restaurants worldwide, complemented by an ever-growing collection of hotels and residential properties. The expansion into Egypt marks another step forward in the brand’s strategy. Nobu is, in fact, shifting from managing individual properties to creating entire lifestyle ecosystems, where dining, hotels, and residences share the same identity. De Niro emphasized that, for years, real estate developers have used the Nobu name to lend prestige to their projects. Now the brand is ready to enter this sector directly and develop large-scale residential projects.
The first step in this expansion is actually already underway. In New Cairo, Nobu recently opened a restaurant in the Eastown District, heralding the arrival of a hotel scheduled for 2027. The most ambitious project, however, will be built on the Mediterranean coast, within OGAMI, a development spanning approximately 440 acres in Ras El Hekma, where Nobu has already opened a seasonal seaside restaurant and plans to add a hotel and a series of branded residences. The project was designed by Rockwell Group and aims to blend Japanese minimalism with the Mediterranean atmosphere, resulting in a design that embodies Nobu’s Kokoro philosophy, which centers on a concept of hospitality based on authenticity and personalized attention. The master plan also received the highest honor at the 2025 Architecture Leaders Awards. The third destination will be built in New Zayed, in western Cairo, and will include luxury hotels and private residences. The location will be particularly strategic: the complex will be located about 20 minutes from the Pyramids of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum.
According to Meir Teper, the shift toward increasingly complex projects happened almost naturally. The success of Nobu hotels has, in fact, fueled a growing demand for branded residences, prompting the group to develop full-fledged communities built around the brand—thus following a natural evolution of its customers’ needs. Finally, collaboration with local partners will allow the new projects to be adapted to Egyptian culture and traditions, while maintaining the international standards that have made Nobu one of the most recognizable names in the luxury hospitality sector.With its entry into Egypt, Nobu is thus poised to transform its model from a simple culinary destination into a true lifestyle experience, featuring hotels, restaurants, and residences overlooking the Mediterranean and just a short walk from some of history’s most iconic sites.
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