Arab Finance: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has directed relevant state bodies to adopt a “Greening Cairo” project to turn cleared spaces across the capital into green areas, as per a statement from the Egyptian Presidency.

The directive came during a meeting with Minister of Religious Endowments Usama Al-Azhari, Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber, Presidential Advisor for Urban Planning Amir Sayed Ahmed, and Armed Forces Engineering Authority Chairman Walid Aref.

During the meeting, El-Sisi reviewed ongoing work to restore Cairo’s Islamic and historic landmarks and upgrade their surrounding districts. He called on state agencies to continue these efforts as part of plans to draw more visitors to the capital’s heritage sites.

Al-Azhari presented updates on the restoration of several historic mosques and mausoleums. The work also includes creating integrated tourist routes connecting heritage landmarks across the city.

Once the restoration program is completed, the “Heart of Cairo” is expected to become an open-air destination capable of attracting more tourists, according to Al-Azhari.

Saber outlined parallel work to revive Khedival, Islamic, and other historic sites, alongside infrastructure improvements in heritage districts and nearby neighborhoods.

The discussions also covered plans by the Egyptian Awqaf Authority to develop real estate assets belonging to the Ministry of Religious Endowments through stronger cooperation with specialized companies and property developers.

El-Sisi stressed the need to continue cataloging and documenting the authority’s properties to safeguard the endowments and make the best use of them in line with the conditions established by their original endowers.