Shorouk City is witnessing heated debate among landowners in the Al-Salam Association area, as a large number of them have submitted official requests to the city authority demanding the opening of the land legalization process. The file has been stalled for more than a year, a delay that has frozen huge sums of money estimated in the billions—funds that could have boosted the state treasury if utilized.
According to sources within the Shorouk City Authority, landowners filed these petitions with symbolic fees of EGP 100 per request. The appeals were addressed to Eng. Hassan Ibrahim Ghoneim, Technical Advisor to the Minister of Housing for Real Estate and Legalization Affairs, and Eng. Ahmed Ali Mohamed Hassan, Deputy Chairman of the Authority for Real Estate and Commercial Affairs. The objective of these petitions is to expedite the opening of the legalization process, similar to what took place in the Rabia area, allowing for the settlement of violations and activating the state’s plans to maximize the use of real estate assets.
The Rabia area serves as a clear model. In July 2025, the New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA) launched the land legalization process there by handing over plots to citizens who had already applied to regularize their status. The program included delivering land to those willing to complete their plots or exchange them for residential units, with implementation carried out in defined phases for each neighborhood.
The delay in resolving the land legalization issue in Shorouk City and neighboring New Obour City is estimated to cost about EGP 10 billion, according to experts and real estate developers. These funds could have been directed toward improving infrastructure and land services across the new cities. Meanwhile, the current stalemate harms landowners and investors, who face difficulty using their plots officially or launching legitimate investment projects.
Real estate developers affirm that speeding up the legalization process would have dual benefits: providing the state with direct financial resources and granting landowners legal security to utilize their properties, thereby strengthening real estate investment in both Shorouk and New Obour.
Nevertheless, many landowners have voiced concerns about the potential rise in legalization fees. Currently, the fees are calculated at around EGP 1,000 per square meter, which many already consider a heavy burden. Any further increases could discourage a large segment of owners from pursuing legalization, resulting in the loss of significant financial opportunities for the state and further delays in resolving the issue.
Landowners are calling on the Ministry of Housing and the New Urban Communities Authority to review the mechanisms of legalization and ensure transparent and clear procedures to avoid financial and real estate stagnation in the city. Continued postponement not only affects the state treasury but also creates paralysis in the property market and delays much-needed investments.
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