Living here in Alexandria now for 8 years I have noticed there are many people, especially foreigners (like myself), buying and cultivating land. Up on the North Coast of Alexandria there are still plots to invest in and some have found this not only a lucrative business but also a place to take their families on weekends and holidays away from the city's fumes. On a patch of land like this one is able to have horses, donkeys, cattle and even chickens and goats or sheep - even camels!

There are a variety of fruits and vegetables one can grow either for home use or for business. One of the best investments is bananas. They take a couple of years to develop fully but it is well worth it. Some other fruits and vegetables include dates, peaches, lemons, oranges, figs, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, potatoes and many others including the artichoke which is a luxury in the West.

Building a house on this land is certainly not expensive once you have good, honest local contacts and the knowledge of how busines is done in Egypt. It is very possible to build your dream home on this land. Swimming pools can be slightly expensive but if one finds the right company to make a pool they are well worth putting in as the weather can get extremely hot in mid-summer. The coast is there but swimming in the sea is not always an option as the holiday villages can be padcked, the sea isn't always tame and has jelly fish that aren't at all friendly!

Along the North Coast roads are people selling freshly slaughtered lamb, olives, olive oil, figs and various other fruits and vegetables straight from the farm. There are also nurseries dotted here and there offering plants for your garden - hibiscus, geraniums, a variety of trees and shrubs all of which can lend a colourful glow to living here. Some of the home made crafts are also available in these side of the road stores such as woven woolen carpets, pottery and jewellery.