A big piece of Red Sea news dropped this week.
Makadi Heights now has its own beach.
Orascom secured over one million square meters of beachfront land connected to the town. This creates room for new neighborhoods, serviced living spaces, and a whole lifestyle offering by the sea.
For the region, this is huge.
For anyone watching the Red Sea evolve, it marks a new chapter.
I shared the press release with a few friends to keep them in the loop.
The first reply I got was:
“new Gouna?”
That question really caught me.
Because it’s natural. El Gouna is the reference point. The guiding star of the Red Sea. The Kleenex of coastal living (don’t ask me why that analogy came to me… but you get the idea).
When something new rises, our instinct is to compare it to what we already know.
It reminded me of football:
Every time a young player appears, people rush to label him “the next Messi,” “the next Cristiano,” “the next … whoever.”
But there’s only one Messi. Only one Cristiano.
Not every rising star needs a comparison.
And it is the same here.
I never advise anyone to buy something because it might become “the next Gouna.”
Makadi Heights will be Makadi Heights.
It deserves to grow into its own identity, at its own rhythm, with its own curve.
And that mindset matters.
Because this news is not about creating a copy of Gouna.
It’s about something much bigger:
Confidence in the Red Sea corridor.
Long term commitment.
More destinations, more choice, more unique coastal identities.
So when you think about buying a coastal home, the smarter question is not:
“Will this become the next Gouna?”
It is:
What identity is this place trying to build
Does it match the lifestyle I want
Where is it in its development curve
Am I evaluating it as itself, not as a comparison
Once you make that shift, everything becomes clearer.
You stop comparing. You start understanding.
And since it is the holiday season and many of you are visiting El Gouna, if you want ideas beyond the usual routine, you can download my guide here:
Life, Travel and Living in El Gouna — A Handbook
https://stan.store/alibythesea/p/life-travel-and-living-in-el-gouna-a-handbook
Let coastal towns grow into themselves.
And choose the one that fits your life, not someone else’s comparison.
Ali