Minister of Housing Issues New Regulation to Simplify Building Permit Procedures

Engineer Sherif Shorbiny, Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, has issued Ministerial Decision No. 943 for 2024, amending certain provisions of the Executive Regulations added to the Building Law by Ministerial Decision No. 410 for 2021. This includes amendments to Articles 110 Bis, 112 Bis 1, and 117 Bis, following directives from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to streamline and simplify the building permit issuance process in local administrative units to alleviate the burden on citizens.

Minister Shorbiny emphasized that these amendments aim to support urban development, a critical sector driving the economy, and to curb unplanned growth. The goal is to address issues related to illegal construction, encourage citizens to obtain building permits for safe and sound construction, and increase the housing stock available from the private sector.

The new decision includes reverting to the Building Law’s provisions, where local administrative units, represented by the technological center and the planning and organizing departments, will handle the preparation of site suitability statements and building conditions without involving specialized university units.

Additionally, the amendments reduce the documentation required for obtaining a permit by eliminating the need for a notarized contract among the required documents for site suitability or permit issuance. Instead, any document proving ownership will suffice.