Egypt earmarked two former prison sites in Egypt’s Delta region for commercial and residential development, a senior source at the Urban Development Fund told Al Manassa. The initiative is part of a broader state-led plan to reconfigure land use and repurpose real estate in high-density urban zones.
“We are currently assessing whether to develop a commercial mall or multiple mid-rise office buildings that would directly support the adjacent housing project,” said the official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of ongoing negotiations.
The UDF has confirmed plans to repurpose the former prison sites in Tanta and Mansoura into mixed-use zones, integrating residential and commercial projects. The Mansoura site spans approximately seven feddans and sits adjacent to the Fund’s “Dara” residential development. The proximity, the source said, makes the site a “logical extension” of the city’s ongoing urban transformation.
In Tanta, the vacated prison spans 12 feddans. Preliminary studies are underway to develop a small-scale residential complex, pending final approvals. Both projects became possible following coordination with the Ministry of Finance, which holds legal ownership of the land.
The UDF’s origin dates to 2008, when it was established by presidential decree as the Informal Settlements Development Fund in response to the Duweika rockslide disaster. In 2021, it was restructured and renamed to reflect expanded responsibilities in commercial real estate and urban planning, including the authority to act as a state developer.
This institutional shift aligns with Egypt’s broader carceral restructuring strategy. In recent years, the Ministry of Interior has built new prisons in peripheral areas, allowing older facilities in urban centers to be shut down.
In early 2022, a ministry of interior official announced that around one-quarter of Egypt’s prisons had been decommissioned following the inauguration of the Badr Prison Complex in late 2021.
Both the Tanta and Mansoura plots are located in dense areas where land availability is scarce. “These are urban cores starved for space,” the source said, adding that the new developments are likely to attract interest due to strong regional demand. “There’s a real hunger in the market,” they added.
The UDF is also reviewing other decommissioned sites around the country. These include former prisons and state-owned land previously held by various ministries, now transferred to the Ministry of Finance, the official told Al Manassa.
Among the most sought-after parcels is a plot on Cairo’s Nasr Road, formerly part of the Tora Prison complex. “It has strategic value,” the source said, though discussions remain at an early stage.
Meanwhile, UDF Director Khaled Siddiq confirmed to Al Manassa that the agency is currently weighing two competing bids for a separate site in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate. The 185-feddan parcel has drawn interest from an international consortium of Turkish and Chinese investors, as well as a separate group of Arab investors. No final decision has been made.
