Sameer Kamal was in his prime when he decided to purchase an apartment in the East Autostrad-Saqr Qureish housing project in the 1980s. With great enthusiasm, he paid the down payment, holding a contract document confirming his right to receive the unit after it was finished in “super luxe” condition. For him, the decision was a lifelong investment—this apartment would become a home for him and the family he dreamed of building.

Years passed, but the dream of moving in remained suspended. The reason was always “unfinished construction”, which led Sameer, like other owners, to wait patiently while renting a home after marriage. Over time, the apartment became a distant dream, and the prolonged wait turned into constant anxiety.

More than four decades later, Sameer now faces a new nightmare. The buildings that were to house his long-awaited home are being demolished before his eyes. The company responsible for the property sold the buildings to a private company planning to construct new towers in their place.

Speaking to Zawia3, Kamal says: “I live in a whirlwind of anger and sadness. How can our rights be sold like this? I paid for this apartment many years ago, and now they are asking me to buy a new one at prices I cannot afford. I am now retired, barely covering rent and my children’s needs. How will I come up with a large sum again to own a ‘housing unit’ that was mine to begin with?”

Sameer’s story is not unique. It represents the tragedy of hundreds of families who now find themselves facing decisions that have reshaped their lives in unexpected ways. This begins our journey to uncover the details of this crisis—between company decisions, owners’ rights, and the human dimensions that some ignore.

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New Victims

In a new development surrounding the East Autostrad-Saqr Qureish buildings, decades of neglect, delays, and possibly corruption are revealed, compounded by sudden decisions that threaten citizens’ rights. This includes implementing the demolition of 28 buildings in the area under a decision by Cairo Governorate. This step has sparked widespread controversy among residents and officials. The governorate justified the decision based on technical reports and warnings claiming the buildings were unsafe, uninhabitable concrete structures. These include buildings 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, according to a statement published by Cairo Governorate.

Maha Mohamed Ayoub, who filed a lawsuit against the Minister of Housing, Cairo Governor, Head of Basateen District, Cairo Security Director, the Basateen Police Chief, and the President of the Central Cooperative Housing Union, firmly rejects the governorate’s stated reasons for demolition. Her lawsuit seeks to halt the administrative decision No. 234 of 2024, issued on June 10, ordering the demolition of Building 13 in the Saqr Qureish Cooperative Housing project in East Maadi, Cairo—one of the buildings already demolished in recent days.

In her urgent request, Maha demanded the suspension and cancellation of the demolition order, the review of the appeal by the Ministry of Justice’s technical office, and the defendants’ obligation to cover all legal expenses and lawyer fees.

Maha’s response is not the only objection questioning the governorate’s unconsidered decision. A structural safety certificate by civil engineer Ahmed Fouad Ahmed Sabry—a member of the Engineers Syndicate—confirmed that Building 13 in East Autostrad, Maadi, consisting of a ground floor and ten repeated floors, met all construction works according to Law No. 119 of 2008, its executive regulations, amendments, and Egyptian engineering codes. According to the certificate, all structural elements of the design can withstand additional stresses caused by natural disasters as per the code. The certificate was signed by both Ahmed Fouad Sabry and Mohamed Hussein El-Hazin.

Despite the certificate originating from Cairo University—recently entrusted with reviewing all studies related to reconciliation, construction, and demolition laws—the governorate ignored it entirely, proceeding with its original plan. This angered property owners, prompting them to stage a protest in front of the buildings slated for demolition. Security forces overseeing the demolition equipment and officials negotiated with the protesters to disperse the sit-in, promising middle-ground solutions. The protest was eventually broken up on that basis.

Residents were later surprised to be informed by the property-owning company that the buildings would be demolished and rebuilt. They were promised new alternative housing units but with a condition: they must pay current market prices for the apartments, deducting the amounts previously paid. This reignited owners’ anger, as they found themselves paying again for apartments they had already purchased years ago.

These buildings, which were supposed to be handed over to their owners in the 1980s, were left unfinished for decades. The project’s roots trace back to the 1980s when East Autostrad buildings were launched, and units were sold to citizens under official contracts, with promises of delivery after “super luxe” finishing. Despite the long years, these promises were never fulfilled, and the buildings remained closed and empty without essential utilities.

The Saqr Qureish housing project now falls under cooperative housing associations and has faced a series of crises since its inception. The Saqr Qureish company encountered severe financial problems, leading to its collapse and inability to manage its projects. This pushed the governorate to transfer the project to urban community associations for temporary management to ensure continuity amid the company’s financial distress. However, the situation only worsened with the failure to deliver the project or meet delivery conditions, including basic utilities.

The final blow came when Cairo Governorate issued decision No. 8201 of 2024, which re-divided the East Autostrad area—previously 400 feddans owned by Saqr Qureish since 1988. The land redistribution aimed to resolve the company’s financial issues but significantly disrupted the area’s future and its related projects.

Hussein, one of the original owners, tells Zawia3: “We waited decades to receive our apartments, always told the excuse was unfinished construction. Today, after all this waiting, we find ourselves excluded entirely. Cooperative housing associations sold the buildings to a private company without notifying us, and suddenly, the demolition decision came without the owners’ consent.”

Similarly, Mona Abdel Rahman, one of the affected owners, expresses her anger: “We were supposed to move into these apartments in the 1980s, but now they are demolishing them and building new towers, asking us to pay current prices—as if we hadn’t paid our money decades ago.”

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Al-Rayan

Amid this crisis, rumors have circulated that the land once belonged to the famous Al-Rayan Group in the 1980s and was sold to Saqr Qureish Company through a public auction following the Al-Rayan crisis. While no source confirms or denies this information, some residents still refer to the area as “Rayan Housing.”

The Al-Rayan crisis in Egypt during the 1980s was one of the country’s most prominent economic scandals. Ahmed Al-Rayan, a leading businessman, gained fame for his money employment system, establishing numerous companies in trade, real estate, and industry. Estimates suggest his companies managed over 2 billion Egyptian pounds—a substantial figure at the time. As rumors about the collapse of Al-Rayan’s companies spread, depositors rushed to withdraw their funds, causing the system to collapse. The Egyptian government intervened, shutting down Al-Rayan companies and seizing their assets to reimburse depositors. Al-Rayan reportedly owned real estate assets, including plots in prime locations such as Maadi, which were confiscated. This may explain the perceived link between this incident and the now-disputed East Autostrad lands.

Amid these events, Rawaan Mostafa expresses her frustration: “This is unfair. They demolished the building we waited for all these years. God is our witness. Where are our rights as apartment owners? Where are the homes we were supposed to receive 40 years ago?”

Eman Ibrahim, another affected resident, says: “We reserved these apartments 40 years ago, paid installments, and never received them. Now they expect us to pay again at today’s prices after demolition. How can we afford these amounts while managing food, drink, and now thousands of pounds to own apartments that were already ours?”

Mohy El-Gioushy adds: “These buildings and others—all the apartments have owners who paid for them years ago. Some people lived there, while others prepared their units despite the lack of utilities. People accepted this, arranged reconciliations, and provided services for housing.”

After speaking with residents of these buildings, they collectively raised critical questions:

• Why did officials in Cairo Governorate take this action?
• Who benefits from this decision?
• Who will compensate the affected residents for their damages?