The tournament is the penultimate platinum event on the PSA World Tour this season and features prize funds of $352,000 (£266,400/€311,000) in the men's and women's categories.

Men’s world number one Ali Farag will top the seedings at a platinum event for the first time in his career.

He will hope to go one better than last year, when he lost in the final to fellow Egyptian Marwan ElShorbagy.

Reigning world champion Farag will play either Australia’s Cameron Pilley or another Egyptian, Tayyab Aslam, in round two.

If he is to win the title this year, he will face a tough challenge, as Peru’s world number nine Diego Elias, Canary Wharf Classic winner Paul Coll and World Championship silver medallist  Tarek Momen are on his side of the draw.

On the other side is second seed Mohamed ElShorbagy, plus his brother and defending champion Marwan, British Open champion Miguel Rodriquez and former world number one Karim Abdel Gawad.

On the women’s side, defending champion Raneem El Welily from Egypt headlines the draw.

She could face Malaysia’s eight-time world champion Nicol David as early as the second round.

David, 35, is set to retire at the end of the tournament.

If El Welily is to defend her title she will have to go further than India’s world number 16 Joshna Chinappa, Hong Kong Open champion Joelle King from New Zealand and World Championship silver medallist Nour El Tayed, as well as David.

Reigning world champion Nour El Sherbini is seeded second.

The El Gouna Squash Complex will host first-round games on April 17 and 18.

Matches will also be played at a glass court at Abu Tig Marina, including every contest from the quarter-finals onwards.

The tournament is due to end on April 26.