SUNRISE traces back to 1971, when El Shaer’s family founded Blue Sky, which became a vertically integrated hospitality group spanning hotels and resorts as well as Nile cruises. El Shaer built that into SUNRISE in 2002, which today operates across 15 destinations in Egypt, Greece, Tanzania, and Morocco, running 41 hotels and resorts with over 13,000 keys and seven Nile cruises. The group expanded into real estate in 2015 with Madaar Developments, which is developing seven projects on a 1,120-acre land bank. In 2025, Madaar and SUNRISE entered into a JV with Minor Hotels to manage and open up to 50 hotels across Egypt. El Shaer chairs the Egyptian Tourism Federation and sits on the board of directors of the Grand Egyptian Museum.