How to assess a new property project in Egypt

Assessing a new project in Egypt comes down to four checks: does the developer own the land, does the project have its permits, have they delivered comparable projects before, and what is physically standing on the site today.

Marketing for Egyptian projects is uniformly excellent and tells you almost nothing. This page is a method for working out what is behind it. It complements the geography of the growth corridors and the mechanics of off-plan contracts, both linked below.

Check one: the land

The most consequential and most skipped question. Does the developer hold registered title to the project land, or an allocation from a state authority with conditions still outstanding?

This determines whether you can ever register your unit. If the parent title is not registered, individual unit registration cannot proceed regardless of how clean your own contract is. Ask for documentary evidence and have your lawyer read it, rather than accepting an assurance.

Check two: permits and approvals

Building permits for the phase you are buying into — not the master plan approval for the site as a whole.
Approvals from the relevant authority — New Urban Communities Authority, the governorate, or the tourism development authority on the coast.
For coastal projects, the military and coastal-zone approvals.
Utility connections: is the site connected to mains water, sewage and grid electricity, or running on temporary arrangements?

Check three: the developer's record

List what they have delivered, with dates. A developer with twenty years and several handed-over communities is a different proposition from one with a single project and a large marketing budget.
Compare contracted delivery dates against actual handover dates on past projects. Systematic delay is a pattern, not bad luck.
Visit an older delivered project. Look at the common areas five years on — that is your compound in five years.
Talk to owners' groups there. Ask what the service charge has done and whether snagging was ever completed.
Check for litigation and for public disputes with buyers.
For a listed developer, read the financial statements: debt, receivables and how much of the balance sheet is undelivered obligations.

Check four: the site today

Go to the site yourself, or send someone. Photograph what is standing. Compare it against the construction schedule in the contract. A project selling phase three while phase one is a foundation is telling you something the brochure is not.

Documents to request before paying anything

Proof of the developer's title or allocation to the land.
The building permit for your phase.
The full contract of sale, in Arabic, with time to have it reviewed.
The specification schedule and finishing standard, in writing.
The delivery schedule and the delay compensation clause.
The maintenance deposit amount and the service charge basis.
The compound bylaws.

Common questions

How do I check if a developer in Egypt is legitimate?

Delivery record above everything: what they have handed over, where, and how late. Then land title, permits, and physical progress on your site. Company registration alone proves nothing.

Should I buy from a small developer at a lower price?

Only with a clear view of their delivery history and their financing. The discount is compensation for a higher chance of delay or failure, and without escrow protection your instalments are exposed.

What if a project is cancelled?

You become a creditor pursuing a refund, typically through the courts, over a long period. This is why developer selection matters more than unit selection.

Last reviewed September 2026. Prices, tax rates, residency thresholds and ownership rules in Egypt change frequently — verify anything you are relying on.