Facebook page of Victims of the New Arish Port
The demolition of several homes in Al-Arish Port district, July 5, 2023.

Protests continue as Egypt resumes demolitions in Al-Arish port redevelopment

Mohamed Ali El-Sohagy
Published Thursday, July 17, 2025 - 17:41 - Last Edited Thursday, July 17, 2025 - 17:44

Authorities in Egypt have resumed house demolitions in the northern city of Arish as part of a long-contested port expansion project, sparking renewed public outcry and protests from residents refusing to vacate their homes.

Seven houses were torn down this week in the Al-Risa neighborhood, where 180 properties are slated for removal in the fourth and fifth phases of Al-Arish port redevelopment plan, a North Sinai government source told Al Manassa. The operation resumed last Sunday after a two-year halt prompted by widespread public anger.

The controversial demolitions are paving the way for a significant expansion of Al-Arish port, a project that has drawn investment from Abu Dhabi Ports Group (AD Ports Group). In a 2023 agreement, the UAE-based trade enabler committed to developing and operating a new cement terminal within Al-Arish port, part of its broader strategic expansion into Egypt's key maritime infrastructure.

Demolitions were suspended in July 2023 following mass discontent, which led President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to order Transport Minister Kamel Al-Wazir to meet with community representatives. At the time, Al-Wazir pledged no removals would proceed without consensus.

“This week’s demolitions were only carried out after homeowners signed consent forms at the governorate,” the official, who requested anonymity, said. “But the majority of residents reject the proposed compensations and are unwilling to leave.”

The compensation framework, the source added, is based on a 2019 valuation formula that factors in floor space, finishing level, and licensing status, with a 40% increase added per a later presidential directive.

Despite official efforts to encourage relocation—including offers of plots in licensed zones for 200,000 Egyptian pounds temporary housing in the Al-Sabil district, or “turnkey” apartments for 350,000 pounds—residents have organized multiple demonstrations against the evictions.

Chanting “No to displacement” and “This land is Egyptian, not Emirati,” demonstrators—many of them women and retirees—gathered in front of Central Security Forces and demolition equipment to block further action. Some chanted, “We won’t leave our homes, even if it costs us our lives.”

A video shared by the “Victims of the New Arish Port” page showed one protester accusing the minister of breaking his promise. “You told us no one would be forced out unless they were fully satisfied. But you broke your word, and we know you won’t come back,” he said.

Another protester said, “We don’t want money or compensation. We’ll stay here until we die. You can kill or arrest us—we’re martyrs for our homes and land.”

Authorities have bolstered security in the neighborhood, deploying city and governorate trucks to assist with moving personal belongings—including steel reinforcement bars—from demolished homes.

A second source told Al Manassa that the renewed clearance campaign had been planned since June 21, during a closed meeting chaired by Deputy Governor Assem Saadoun and attended by local security leaders and relevant agencies.

The conflict dates back to a 2019 presidential decree allocating 371.46 acres surrounding Al-Arish port to the Egyptian military for development. A 2021 amendment expanded the area to 541 acres. Decree No. 330 of 2019 designated the port as a public utility and transferred oversight to the armed forces via Decree No. 465 of 2021.

According to official estimates, the area contains 1,105 residential buildings and over 2 million square meters of land.

The Ministry of Transport is transforming the facility into a regional logistics hub, extending the berth from 242 m to 1.5 km, deepening the harbor to 14 m, and linking it to the national rail network.