10/02/2022
Mohammed el Bahrawy is ceo/founder of the eponymous group planning to open its first ‘floating palace’, Dubai Kempinski, late 2023 – and he is already planning Sochi, his wife’s home town, followed by Egypt’s Mediterranean coast west of Alexandria, and somewhere in Thailand. The 165- room (40sq m up) eco-friendly Dubai structure currently being built in Ras el Khaimah’s shipyards will be towed round to Dubai, 1.5 km south of Jumeirah Beach Four Seasons, and held in place by 16 hydraulic pillars. Attached to this, by static walkways, are 12 villas, for sale or rent, 2-4- bedrooms each (4 are already sold). The entire project is fashioned from marine-standard Russian and Ukrainian steel, with interiors designed by Kempinski, whom Mohammed el Bahrawy chose a partner for a multitude of reasons, including what he calls back-garden hospitality experience, their professional customer satisfaction and their access to Global Hotel Alliance GHA. The el Bahrawy Group, based in Sharm el Sheikh, has been involved in law, plus shipping, since 1980. It has built 18 Nile cruise ships and other vessels: today, conveniently for Mohammed el Bahrawy, one brother is a banker, another a lawyer.