Egypt removes building violations, land encroachments across 21 governorates during Eid holiday

2026-03-23 - 17:11

Egyptian authorities have removed a number of building violations and encroachments on agricultural and state-owned land during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, the Ministry of Local Development and Environment announced on Monday. Minister of Local Development and Environment Manal Awad said the enforcement campaigns were carried out across 21 governorates, with continuous monitoring by the national emergency and safety control centre. The ministry said authorities took swift action against illegal construction, including unlicensed buildings in Alexandria, as well as encroachments on agricultural land in Kafr El-Sheikh. As part of ongoing nationwide campaigns, officials removed 63 cases of encroachment on state-owned land, recovering around 15,000 square metres of buildings and six feddans of land. Authorities also cleared 354 illegal spatial violations covering approximately 55,500 square metres, in addition to removing 88 cases of illegal construction on agricultural land totalling about 2.7 feddans. Immediate enforcement action was taken against 24 cases of encroachment on state land and 106 cases of illegal construction on farmland as soon as they were detected, the ministry added. Awad said enforcement efforts will continue, with intensified field inspections and strict legal measures against violators, particularly during holiday periods. She added that these campaigns form part of broader government efforts to safeguard agricultural land and state assets while advancing sustainable development objectives.