Egypt to Shut Down ‘Most Hated’ Building: The Mugamaa

Mugamaa, Tahrir Square (September 2011, Diego Delso/Wikimedia Commons)

Governor of Cairo Galal Mostafa announced on Wednesday that Egyptians and foreigners will no longer suffer from having to visit the Mugamaa Complex in downtown Cairo for administrative tasks.

In a press release, the Governor said that in a bid to ease traffic and redevelop downtown Cairo, the Mugamaa building, where 30,000 employees work for a number of service ministries, will be completely vacated by mid-2017.

The Mugamaa, which is visited by up to 100,000 citizens on a daily basis, has been described by some as the “ugliest” building in Egypt. However, it is the long queues, confusion with where to go, and general bureaucracy that many visitors often complain about.

The future of the Mugamaa complex remains unclear, with the Governor stating that a number of proposals are being studied to determine the best use of “one of the most famous and historic buildings in Cairo”.

It also remains unclear where Egyptians and foreigners will have to visit instead of the Mugamaa. Recently, in a bid to ease the process for those living in Egypt, the government introduced a mobile application that makes it easier to access a number of services, including the payment of fines and bills.

The Mugamaa, which looks onto Tahrir Square, was built in 1951 on an area of 28,000 square meters and consists of 14 floors and about 1,350 rooms.

Egypt recently launched a number of projects aimed at renovating downtown Cairo. From repainting old buildings and revamping Tahrir Square, to demolishing former President Mubarak’s National Democratic Party’s headquarters near Tahrir Square, the government is keen to boost tourism to the downtown area while providing locals with higher quality services and improving traffic in the heart of Cairo.