Pickalbatros and NG9 Holding Announce Tourism, Tech and AI Partnerships
Egypt's Pickalbatros and UAE's NG9 join on hospitality, tourism, technology and AI, with a football sponsorship attached.
Pickalbatros Holding for Investment and NG9 Holding have agreed to work together. The Egyptian group and the UAE-based company will cooperate in hospitality, tourism, technology and artificial intelligence. The two holding groups will also explore new investment opportunities in Egypt.
The strategic understanding was reached between Kamel Abou-Aly, chairman of Pickalbatros, and Alaa Al Ali, founder and CEO of NG9. It was unveiled Monday at Gewan Palace in New Alamein City, with a statement issued Tuesday. Among the participants are Jiwane Infotech, Jiwane Investment Solutions, the travel operator Nirvana Travel & Tourism, Al Masry SC and Pickalbatros Hotels.
A sports marketing angle is included. Al Masry SC has signed an agreement with NG9 for the holding company's logo to appear on the football club's jersey in the upcoming season.
Magdy Ali, executive vice president of Pickalbatros Holding, will direct the operational rollout. Omar Al Ali is chief executive of Nirvana Holding, and Joseph Saif holds the title of strategic projects officer at NG9.
The agreement lands during a period of aggressive growth. Pickalbatros Hotels & Resorts secured $200 million in World Bank financing in June, a figure Abou-Aly disclosed to Forbes Middle East. The funds are designated for four new development projects in Morocco and for debt repayment. Casablanca and Marrakech are the locations, and completion is scheduled within two years. The African push will add around 800 rooms.
Egypt remains the core market. Pickalbatros Hotels & Resorts wants to add about 9,000 rooms in Egypt over the next four years. That expansion would increase its total room count in the country to roughly 24,000.
Abou-Aly already has a high profile in regional rankings. He holds 35th place on Forbes Middle East's Top 100 Travel and Tourism Leaders 2025 list. In the same publication's Top 100 CMOs 2026 list, Mohamed Eid Soliman, regional marketing director at Pickalbatros Hotels & Resorts, was recognized in June.
The partnership pairs Gulf capital with Egyptian tourism infrastructure at a moment of rapid expansion. Including a football asset adds visibility for a technology-oriented holding group entering the local market. The AI component, though less detailed than the construction plans, signals a wider ambition to connect travel with digital services.
