The Tahrir Complex in Cairo is entering a new phase in its long and storied history, after the Supreme Council for Planning and Urban Development approved a request submitted by the Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE) to convert the complex into a hotel building.
A symbol of historic Cairo
The Tahrir Complex opened in its current form during the reign of King Farouk in 1951. It was constructed with a ship-like structure on an area of 28,000 square meters and a height of 14 floors, including more than 1,300 rooms.
Its establishment dates back to the time when the British forces left Egypt. King Farouk decided to demolish the English military barracks that occupied the former Ismailia Square (now Tahrir Square), and then several plans came to develop Tahrir Square.
In 1948, the Egyptian architect Mohamed Kamal Ismail, began building the formerly al-Galaa Complex – the current Tahrir Complex – at a cost of LE 350,000 at that time.
The purpose was to save the exorbitant expenses incurred by the state as a result of renting real estate to government institutions, and ease the efforts of citizens who were forced to pass through several offices in several places to finish their papers.
Governmental transfers
In January 2021, Cairo Governorate announced the evacuation of the Tahrir Complex and the transfer of employees to alternative locations. The decision included 27 government agencies and ministries that used to operate the complex.
In November 2020, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi reviewed with the government the model for developing the Tahrir Complex presented by the Sovereign Fund of Egypt, which announced receiving international offers to develop the complex to be a world-class investment building.
