Eng. Sherif El-Sherbiny, Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, announced the cancellation of the planning and building restrictions introduced in March 2021, in line with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s directives. The government has reinstated the provisions of Law 119 of 2008 and its executive regulations, as part of ongoing efforts to simplify and streamline building permit procedures in cities and local units. This move aims to ease the burden on citizens and support urban development across the country.
The minister emphasized that all projects must adhere to the height limits outlined in approved strategic and detailed plans, as well as the regulatory and development guidelines and approved organizational boundaries. The new regulations will allow commercial and administrative activities on the ground and first floors of residential buildings located on streets wider than 10 meters, while ensuring that all construction and infrastructure projects comply with Egyptian building codes.
El-Sherbiny highlighted that Ministerial Decree No. 943 was issued on September 3rd, amending the executive regulations of Law 119, which included revisions to several articles of the law, such as Articles 110, 112, and 117, to simplify the application process for building permits across local administrative units in all governorates.
Eng. Nafisa Hashem, Head of the Housing and Utilities Sector at the ministry, noted that the ministry’s efforts to simplify the building permit procedures aim to encourage citizens to obtain proper building permits and construct safe and healthy structures. This initiative also seeks to improve the performance of the construction and urban sectors, which are fundamental pillars of the Egyptian economy.