The Egyptian Endowments Authority’s decision to offer a 41,000-square-meter plot that includes Rod Al-Farag Gardens to real estate developers under a private-sector partnership has sparked debate on social media, amid fears that one of the last major green spaces in northern Cairo could be lost to an investment project.
Last Thursday, the Endowments Authority offered real estate developers the chance to develop the plot at the former Rod Al-Farag market site in Cairo. Bids will remain open through the end of August.
Although the authority has not announced the final nature of the project, the offer is directed at real estate developers and asks them to submit a comprehensive project concept, master plan, and investment feasibility study. That suggests the site could be developed for real estate, hotel, or commercial use.
Rod Al-Farag Gardens and its urban surroundings from the air, Aug. 9, 2026Social media users circulated images of the garden from Google Maps, questioning its fate and describing it as virtually the only green space available to residents of northern Cairo neighborhoods, as open spaces have steadily declined in recent years.
A board member of the Real Estate Development Chamber at the Federation of Egyptian Industries told Al Manassa, on condition of anonymity, that the current offer lacks basic information investors need, including permitted uses, building heights, construction ratios, and how revenues would be shared with the Endowments Authority. That leaves companies to propose different visions for the site before a clear project framework has been set.
Despite his reservations about the bidding process, the source said the site represents an important investment opportunity because of its size and location in Cairo. But he said clarity about what he called the “rules of the game” from the outset would be crucial to attracting major companies and determining the type of investment.
A source familiar with the authority’s investment offerings told Al Manassa, also on condition of anonymity, that the current offer is an initial stage aimed at canvassing developers’ ideas. It will be followed by negotiations over uses, the partnership structure, and revenue sharing.
Without addressing the loss of green space, the authority source said it aims to select the proposal that generates the highest return on the asset, while assessing the financial capacity and technical experience of the companies that apply.
The offering comes about a month after MP Mohamed Rady, secretary of the House of Representatives’ Defense and National Security Committee, criticized the continued failure to develop the Rod Al-Farag market land since the Endowments Authority took it over from Cairo Governorate four years ago, saying it had become a “jungle of trees” because it had remained undeveloped.
The move also comes amid a trend in recent years that has seen several open spaces and public parks repurposed for investment or commercial projects, repeatedly fueling debate over the future of Cairo’s green spaces, particularly in densely populated areas.
