Cairo: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Saturday, September 5, 2026, directed state authorities to sustain efforts aimed at revitalizing Cairo's historic and heritage landmarks, while expanding the development of surrounding areas to bolster tourism. The President urged adopting the "Greening Cairo" project that aims at turning vacated land plots in the capital into green areas.

According to State Information Service Egypt, President Sisi made the remarks during a meeting with Minister of Awqaf Osama el Azhari, Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber, Presidential Adviser for Urban Planning Amir Sayed Ahmed, and Head of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority Walid Aref to follow up on the ongoing efforts to revive Cairo's Islamic and historic landmarks, Presidential Spokesman Mohamed el Shennawy said.

During the meeting, the Awqaf Minister reviewed the implementation status of efforts to revive and restore a number of historic mosques and mausoleums, noting that the projects also include the opening of additional integrated tourist routes linking various historic and heritage sites.

Once the ongoing projects to revive the historic landmarks are completed, 'the heart of Cairo' will become an open-air tourist attraction capable of drawing increased tourist traffic, Azhari said. The Cairo governor, for his part, reviewed efforts to revive several Khedival, historic, and Islamic landmarks, as well as ongoing work to rehabilitate and develop infrastructure in historic areas and their surroundings.

The meeting reviewed plans by the Awqaf authority to develop various real estate assets belonging to the Ministry of Awqaf and strengthen cooperation mechanisms with specialized companies and real estate developers. President Sisi stressed the importance of continuing efforts to inventory and document all assets and properties belonging to the Egyptian Awqaf authority to preserve endowments, protect their assets, and maximize their optimal use in accordance with the conditions set by their endowers.