Development plan for Egypt’s historic Giza Zoo to kick off on Sunday

CAIRO - 8 July 2023: A plan to develop the 132-year-old Giza Zoo, the first garden of its kind in the Middle East which receives millions of visitors per year, will be put into force as of Sunday, Spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Ahmed Ibrahim said in a statement Saturday.

The military production company for projects, engineering consultancy and general supplies has been handed the project of developing the Giza Zoo, according to Masrawy news website.

The plan intends to improve the efficiency of all Giza Zoo's services, maximize the use of its components while protecting its archaeological character, rare plants and trees, Ibrahim said.

The plan also aims to restore the zoo’s heritage and past glamour while revitalizing it as an open area that offers a much-needed green breathing space for the public, he added.

Work is being done to make the zoo more like open global parks without walls, using the best international safety standards, in collaboration with the International Federation of Zoos and under the supervision of the African Union of Zoos, according to Ibrahim.

Maha Saber, Director General of the Giza Zoo, has denied the news that the zoo will be closed for visitors starting Sunday for a year and a half in light of the development project.

Giza Zoo will continue to receive visitors as the date for the closure of the zoo has not yet been set, Saber noted.

The Giza Zoo, which was built by Khedive Ismail and opened on 1 March, 1891, is the third oldest in the world and the oldest in Africa.

The zoo was first established as a botanical garden over an area of about 80 acres.

Giza Zoo development

The development of the zoo will cost at least EGP 1 billion, the Ministry of Agriculture, which owns the zoo, said earlier this year.

The National Authority for Military Production (NAMP) will be in charge of the development process as well as the management, operation and maintenance of the zoo, the Ministry of Agriculture said.

The development process will be carried out in cooperation with a coalition of global and local private companies, the ministry said. However, it did not mention the companies’ names.