On May 20, we officially launched construction of the Ville Verte project. This groundbreaking ceremony marks a concrete milestone for the Lac Rose urban hub. The event brought together all the stakeholders involved: the General Delegation for the Promotion of Urban Hubs (DGPU), the mayor of the municipality, government authorities and our teams.
The goal remains the same: to redefine the standards of sustainable urban development in West Africa.
A historic moment, a national ambition
Under a sky full of emotion and hope, we laid, alongside our partners, the first stone of what will become one of the most ambitious urban projects on the continent. Shared commitment, one message: Ville Verte is being built.
“The finest project in Senegal”
The tone of the day was set from the very first speeches. According to Momar Sokhna Diop, mayor of the municipality:
“This project is currently the largest in terms of investment in Senegal. I think that today, every mayor in Senegal would like to be in my place.”
The enthusiasm is easy to understand. Located by the sea, on the edge of Lac Rose (a protected site of rare beauty), Ville Verte enjoys an exceptional natural setting. Preserving the lake is not an empty promise: it is at the heart of our contractual and ethical commitment.
A strategic response to an environmental emergency
For Mr. Bara Diouf, Delegate General of the DGPU, this project goes beyond real estate:
“The Lac Rose urban hub was not born out of speculation or a simple desire for urban expansion. Above all, it responds to a major strategic and environmental need: protecting a fragile ecosystem threatened by an advancing wave of unplanned urban sprawl.”
Faced with growing pressure on land and the disorderly occupation of sensitive areas that were threatening Lac Rose, the State of Senegal chose controlled, planned and sustainable urban development. Ville Verte fits exactly within this vision: an integrated city that brings together urban development, environmental protection and social inclusion.
Orascom expertise: from the Red Sea to Lac Rose
We are proud to bring to Senegal the know-how of a group that has already turned a desert into a model city. H.E. Mr. Khaled Aref made the point with conviction:
“El Gouna was the first city in Africa and the Middle East to receive the prestigious Global Green Town Award from the United Nations Environment Programme. It is with this same expertise and this same bold vision that the Orascom group is delivering Ville Verte at Lac Rose, here in Senegal.”
Ville Verte will be designed to the strictest sustainability standards: smart resource management, renewable energy, eco-friendly architecture and harmonious integration into the Lac Rose landscape. We are not just building a city, we are building a model for the continent.
Numbers that speak for themselves.
Even before this first stone was laid, dozens of Senegalese families, living in Senegal and in the diaspora, had already chosen to put their trust in Ville Verte. The CEO of Casa Orascom said so with emotion:
“Today, May 20, 2026, Ville Verte stops being a promise. Ville Verte is being built. Trust is being written today, along with this first address.”
In figures, Phase 1 includes 1,293 modern homes, out of 10,000 homes in total in the long term, along with public facilities, generous green spaces and local infrastructure. Thousands of direct and indirect jobs will also be created in construction, services and through training programs for young Senegalese people on the construction site itself.
The start of an adventure
We warmly thank the DGPU, our institutional and diplomatic partners and all the teams involved for their unwavering commitment. This project symbolizes a successful collaboration between the Egyptian private sector and the Senegalese authorities. An alliance serving a Senegal that is looking to the future with ambition.
Lac Rose has a new story to write. And we are honored to build it.
Follow the progress of Ville Verte at Lac Rose on our blog and social media.
