2007 is a bright year for Sun International, and the opening on November 15 of the vast Port Ghalib resort should be a highpoint. After the Sun City in the South African desert, the group is now set to conquer another desert, this time Egyptian. This new complex on the shores of the Red Sea is a veritable oasis built around an artificial lagoon covering 8,500 sq.m. Under a management contract, the site offers a total of 956 rooms in three 5* hotels: the Palace at Port Ghalib, the Sahara Sun Sands and the Sahara Sun Oasis. In addition to becoming a center for farniente in the region, it also plans to take the lion’s share in terms of conferences, with a fully-equipped 1,000 seat auditorium and a group of professionals fully experienced in managing these events. The Kuwait group Kharafi financed the 1.5 billion dollar project. In the center of the target: the European market. Extensive marketing campaigns are already underway in the press in Old Europe. The resort’s appeal should grow further with the addition of luxury apartments and a golf course that are planned.