Egypt allocates land for international airport in Matrouh governorate

CAIRO - 7 May 2024: Egypt has allocated approximately 7.5 million square meters of government-owned land on the northwest coast of Matrouh Governorate to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for the purpose of constructing an international airport.

This decision was formalized through Presidential Decree No. 152 of 2024, issued by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The decree allocates an area of roughly 1785.35 feddans, which is equivalent to 7.5 million square meters, for the airport project. The land in question is state-owned and situated along the northwest coast of Matrouh Governorate.

The international airport will be part of the Ras El Hekma City project, known as the largest direct investment deal in Egypt's history. This project is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities (represented by the New Urban Communities Authority) and the UAE's ADQ (Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company).

Ras El Hekma City boasts a strategically attractive location on the North Coast. Its beaches stretch from Dabaa at kilometer 170 on the Northwest Coast Road to kilometer 220 in Matrouh City. Egypt envisions the city as a world-class tourist destination, aligning with the country's development plans for the northwest coast.

In April 2024, the Egyptian Council of Ministers approved the allocation of two plots of land along the north coast in Matrouh Governorate to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for the construction of an international airport, to be named Ras El Hekma International Airport.

The Council of Ministers, during the same April meeting, also approved a draft resolution for the establishment of a special free zone under the name "Ras El Hekma Urban Development Project Company" within Ras El Hekma City. According to a statement from the Egyptian Council of Ministers, the approval to establish the free zone is part of the overall development and growth plan for Ras El Hekma City.

An additional project decision approved by the Council of Ministers is the establishment of an investment zone within Ras El Hekma City. The resolutions included granting the Ras El Hekma Urban Development Project Company the "single approval" (golden license) for both the investment zone and the special free zone projects. Furthermore, the Council of Ministers approved a separate resolution to establish a Board of Directors for the Ras El Hekma investment zone.