Egypt’s New Urban Communities Authority/NUCA has collected approximately 40 billion Egyptian pounds (about $800 million) from the sale of land plots in new cities to investors since the beginning of 2025, a 25% increase compared to the same period last year, a senior official told Al Manassa.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said NUCA sold around 385 investment land plots spanning nearly 1,350 feddans (5.6 million square meters). The plots were allocated through direct offering and designated for residential, commercial, administrative, medical, and recreational uses.
The source attributed the revenue growth to both a larger area of land sold and rising market prices for prime plots. They added that the price per square meter depends on geographic location and proximity to key hubs or main roads.
In a previous statement to Al Manassa, another senior NUCA official said the authority plans to offer 50 new land plots denominated in US dollars in the second half of 2025. The goal is to attract foreign investment and boost foreign currency reserves by offering nontraditional funding mechanisms.
In October 2024, deputy housing minister responsible for planning and projects at the NUCA Walid Abbas said the government introduced a five-tier investor classification to regulate the market and prevent speculative practices that inflate land prices.
According to Abbas, the first tier includes local real estate developers who can only pay in Egyptian pounds, with the option of paying in foreign currency revoked. The second tier covers foreign investors, defined as a minimum 60% foreign ownership. They are required to pay from outside Egypt in US dollars through a designated foreign investment portal.
The third tier includes companies with outstanding debts to NUCA, which can be settled through in-kind land swaps, subject to negotiated terms on size, pricing, and payment methods. The fourth tier applies to foreign nationals purchasing property worth over $300,000. These investors are granted additional residency and transaction benefits in coordination with the Ministries of Interior, Immigration, and Investment.
The fifth tier targets “global developers”—large-scale investors with proven track records in major projects. These investors are given fast-track access to land allocations, provided they meet requirements on expertise and operational longevity.
