El-Sisi directs transforming Historic Cairo to global tourist destination, cultural landmark

CAIRO – 16 May 2026: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Saturday reviewed ongoing efforts to develop Historic Cairo and upgrade its buildings and facilities, stressing the need to give the file top priority.

El-Sisi made the remarks during a meeting with Minister of Religious Endowments Osama Al-Azhari, Advisor to the President for Urban Planning Major General Amir Sayed, Head of the Armed Forces Financial Affairs Authority Major General Khaled Abdullah, and Head of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority Major General Waleed Aref.

The president ordered comprehensive inventory and development of all Historic Cairo’s relevant buildings and facilities in line with the highest standards, with the aim of transforming the area into a global tourist destination and an attractive cultural landmark.

The meeting reviewed plans by the Al Awqaf Egyptian Authority to develop real estate assets affiliated with the Ministry of Religious Endowments.

The president also checked on efforts to enhance cooperation with specialized companies and real estate developers to develop investment ecosystem and introduce new investment activities and fields.

Al-Azhari, during the meeting, reviewed efforts to inventory and document the assets and properties under Al Awqaf Egyptian Authority’s management, in coordination with relevant state entities, to establish an accurate inventory and create cadastral and digital maps for those assets.

The minister also reviewed mechanisms to maximize the utilization of the authority’s assets, including identifying a number of promising investment opportunities that could be offered and optimally exploited.

El-Sisi directed continued efforts to inventory and document the authority’s various assets and properties, while maximizing their optimal use to ensure sound investment and strengthen their contribution to supporting the national economy.