Urban Development
Demolitions et reconstructions
Demolitions of unregulated neighborhoods continue in the capital, including Ezbet Abu Qarn in Old Cairo where 15 buildings were demolished, and Mansheyyat Nasr where 185 buildings were destroyed.
At the same time, alternative housing is being built in October Garden City for the inhabitants of Warraq Island.
The Ministry of Housing is requesting the acceleration of the work in the Maspero Triangle so housing be delivered on time.
A member of Parliament warns about the spread of rubble and construction waste in the streets and its impact on the environment and public health. He points out that 50 million tons of waste have accumulated in Egypt and that 5 million tons are added to it every year. Construction and demolition waste would represent 44% of the total, in particular concrete (40 to 50%), wood (30%), and stones (20%).
Development of Fustat
The Ministry of Housing announced the completion of the restoration of the Amr Ibn el-As Mosque in Fustat. The mosque covers 28,500 m2, including 13,200 m2 of prayer rooms. This project is part of a larger dynamic. Since 2014, the state has begun renovating 10,000 mosques in the country at a cost of 10 billion EGP. An article in El-Watan looks back at the main achievements.
In the same area, work has begun on the development of Fustat Park.
Ministry of the Interior
Egypt’s sovereign wealth fund has signed an agreement to transform the former Ministry of the Interior buildings – a complex of 7 buildings covering nearly 40,000 m2 – into a mixed-use complex including a luxury hotel, offices, and shops. The investments would amount to 800 million EGP and the first phase of the works should be completed by the end of 2023. The company A-Developments, which is in charge of the works, has obtained a 25-year lease on the buildings. This project comes a few months after the announcement of a similar project concerning the Mugamma, on Tahrir Square, and is part of the desire to revitalize the city center. In the coming years, the capital should have 4 new luxury hotels.
New Administrative Capital
A BBC Arabic article reports on the arrival of thousands of employees in the New Administrative Capital from March 1st, and more than 20 buildings have already been handed over to government institutions.
The government wants to encourage investors to integrate sustainable development in their projects, highlighting the role of model of the New Capital. It is also a strategy to make it more attractive, in addition to the intervention of renowned international architects.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi inaugurated the Islamic Cultural Center of Egypt. The president’s wife said on social networks that it would be “a window for knowledge and enlightened religious discourse”.
Development at the Margins
In late February, President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi monitored the progress of development projects in Sinai. His speech is available on Al-Shorouk newspaper: he stressed that the cost of development in the region, which has been hampered by terrorism, amounts to $ 40 or 50 billion. The Prime Minister said that 25 sanitation projects were underway for 4 billion EGP and that 4 new cities were planned to accommodate 1.5 million people. Other projects include the expansion of the port of Al-Arish and a thousand new homes.
The President also went to the governorate of Minya to visit other development projects, including a housing project. He said in his speech that the government was not forgetting the people of Upper Egypt and rural areas. The Prime Minister said that the state has invested up to 143 billion EGP in the Governorate to improve the standard of living. The focus was on education and the rehabilitation of unregulated areas.
Urban Rhythms
The government has approved the return of daylight-saving time in an attempt to save electricity. From the last Friday in April to the last Thursday in October, the country will move forward one hour.
The month of Ramadan began on March 23. An article by Al Ahram Online details the most anticipated Egyptian series of the month. Despite the economic crisis impacting the ordinary practices of this month of celebrations, charity tables, banned during the pandemic, have flourished throughout the city.
Others
A new law on the possession of animals and dangerous dogs is under discussion in Parliament. It includes the provision of dog parks in Egyptian cities.
The Ministry of Housing has auctioned off a number of commercial premises in the tourist center of New Al-Alamein Marina.
Transport
A fourth Talgo train line (see January 2023 Press Review) begins daily service between Cairo and Aswan.
The Ministry of Transport announced a public bid to lease the Turguman shopping mall, associated with the bus station, for a period of 20 years.
Despite the increase in fuel prices, the Ministry of Transport has guaranteed that the price of public transport would not increase.
Tourism and Museums
The restoration of the Imhotep Museum in Saqqara is about to be completed.
The Governorate of Port Said has offered the land originally allocated for the construction of the National Museum of the Governorate to an investor, the Maxim Investment Company, which owns the Kempinski Hotels, in a partnership between the Governorate, the Suez Canal Authority, and the real estate company. Several projects are envisaged, including the renovation of the dome and its transformation into a hotel, the development of a yacht harbor — the Port Said International Marina — and a residential, recreational, and hotel complex: the Maxim Canal Residence. An article by Mada Masr retraces the history of the museum, which was planned in 1963, built in 1986, and demolished in 2010.
The Supreme Council of Antiquities has announced an increase in the rates of some archaeological sites from December 2023.
Environment
The World Bank, through the Global Environment Facility, has approved a new $9.13 million allocation to combat air pollution in Greater Cairo. This is part of a larger allocation of $200 million in 2020.
Florian Bonnefoi
