Egypt Launches Major Plan to Revitalize Historic Downtown Cairo

Egypt has begun taking concrete steps to revive "Khedivial Cairo", the capital’s historic downtown district, through a series of investment projects aimed at transforming several landmark buildings into hotels and tourist destinations, a government spokesperson said.

Cabinet spokesperson Mohamed El-Homsany said during a phone interview on Al-Hayat TV’s “El Sa’a 6” program that the plan marks “serious efforts” to restore the area’s architectural and cultural vibrancy.

He added that Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly recently met with the Minister of Public Business Sector and representatives from Emaar Investment to discuss investment opportunities in central Cairo. Many of the buildings under consideration are state-owned, including properties managed by the Ministry of Public Business Sector.

Among the sites proposed for redevelopment are the Cosmopolitan Building, Omar Effendi Building, and Shamla Building, which could be converted into boutique hotels to help meet the growing demand for accommodation in downtown Cairo.

Also in this regard, El-Homsany stressed that the initiative does not involve selling state assets, but rather establishing partnerships with the private sector to manage and operate the properties while preserving their historic and architectural identity.

 “No buildings will be demolished,” he said. “They will be repurposed to align with the city’s tourism and cultural development goals.”

He added that the initiative extends beyond central Cairo to include Alexandria and various locations in Cairo and Giza, targeting underused or vacant government-owned buildings to maximize the value of public assets without relinquishing ownership.