Egypt's government has acquired the majority of Al Warraq island in the Nile from residents, where a predominantly agricultural community had been resisting eviction for years.
The Housing Ministry said residents who had chosen to vacate their homes were given ample compensation, either in cash, new homes or agricultural land.
The government, which now owns 4.2 of Al Warraq's 5.4 square kilometres, aims to develop the land into an upmarket Nile-side residential community, which necessitated the removal of the residents, it says.
The project is estimated to generate billions in profit for the state-aligned developers.
Repeated demonstrations by the island’s 120,000 residents were held on Al Warraq from 2017 when the government began enforcing evictions on the grounds that much of the island had been illegally constructed and that most residents were not licensed to live there. The latest protests took place in 2022.
Ahmed Salah, a resident, confirmed to The National that new housing units in satellite cities around Cairo such as 6 October and Al Obour had been handed over to most of the island’s residents and that farmers had received tracts of land in Al Sadat city, 88km north-west of the capital.
In the beginning, there was a lot of anger and resistance, but when the residents realised that the government was insistent on constructing the development, they agreed
Ahmed Salah,
Al Warraq resident
Mr Salah is one of the few people still living on Al Warraq island.
“Everything was pretty straightforward with the government,” he said on Monday. “They paid most cash compensations quickly, with no delays. I think because they had been trying to get everyone out of here for five years, they were anxious to get it over with once most people stopped resisting evictions.
“In the beginning, there was a lot of anger and resistance, but when the residents realised that the government was insistent on constructing the development, they agreed.”
Mohamed Hossam, another resident who works as a craftsman, told The National that some compensation payments have been delayed pending government land valuations.
He explained: “What happens is owners of land that the developers or the government have acquired are given a slip of paper, which they take to the Housing Ministry and are assigned new land wherever they're going, whether to build a home on or to farm. The problem is, they don't get the new land until the ministry determines the value of their old land, which can take up to two years.”
Land brokers have started buying the slips of paper from residents who do not want to or can't afford to wait that long, he said.
“Because many residents are too poor to be able to wait that long without their means of making a living, they are selling the papers to wealthy landowners and brokers who can afford to wait until things with the government are settled. A friend sold his slip for 1.8 million Egyptian pounds [$38,000}. He decided to be done with the whole thing and start fresh with the cash.”
However, the brokers' valuations of the land are often below market value.
Eviction justification
Housing Minister Assem El Gazzar has offered his own reasons for the mandated evictions, first citing the illegality of the entire neighbourhood and then asserting in a 2022 speech that substandard environmental practices from resident farmers had accumulated to the point that the government had to intervene.
Such claims were quickly refuted by residents who said that a police station, general hospital and public schools had been built on the island and that the collection of taxes, were examples that the settlement was sanctioned by the government.
The remaining residents have been told they can stay should they want, according to Mr Salah, but because most have left, the community no longer feels like home to those who remain. Those wanting to remain will also be living in a construction zone for several years.
Mr Hossam said his family plans to remain in Al Warraq and is in the process of building a new home there after acquiring permits from the government. He said that because the government was more interested in acquiring lands closer to the banks of the Nile, anyone living too far inland was allowed to stay.
“We were lucky, the area we live in is not very valuable to the developers, so my family will stay,” he said. “They can build a wall around their expensive communities if they want to keep us out.”
In 2022, the government said it had paid more than 5 billion Egyptian pounds ($106 million) in compensation since 2017.
During the initial demonstrations, one man was killed in clashes with security officials. In August 2022, police vehicles descended on the island and a stand-off with residents developed that lasted for days.
Rights groups at the time criticised the methods used to disperse protesters and videos purporting to show police violence were widely shared on social media.
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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Price: From Dh117,059
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
Blonde
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
Who is Tim-Berners Lee?
Sir Tim Berners-Lee was born in London in a household of mathematicians and computer scientists. Both his mother, Mary Lee, and father, Conway, were early computer scientists who worked on the Ferranti 1 - the world's first commercially-available, general purpose digital computer. Sir Tim studied Physics at the University of Oxford and held a series of roles developing code and building software before moving to Switzerland to work for Cern, the European Particle Physics laboratory. He developed the worldwide web code as a side project in 1989 as a global information-sharing system. After releasing the first web code in 1991, Cern made it open and free for all to use. Sir Tim now campaigns for initiatives to make sure the web remains open and accessible to all.
Read more about the coronavirus
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA
Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600
Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
Concrete and Gold
Foo Fighters
RCA records
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
SCORES
Yorkshire Vikings 144-1 in 12.5 overs
(Tom Kohler 72 not out, Harry Broook 42 not out)
bt Hobart Hurricanes 140-7 in 20 overs
(Caleb Jewell 38, Sean Willis 35, Karl Carver 2-29, Josh Shaw 2-39)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
FIGHT CARD
Bantamweight Hamza Bougamza (MAR) v Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)
Catchweight 67kg Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR) v Fouad Mesdari (ALG)
Lighweight Abdullah Mohammed Ali (UAE) v Abdelhak Amhidra (MAR)
Catchweight 73kg Mostafa Ibrahim Radi (PAL) v Yazid Chouchane (ALG)
Middleweight Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) v Badreddine Diani (MAR)
Catchweight 78kg Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Adnan Bushashy (ALG)
Middleweight Sallaheddine Dekhissi (MAR) v Abdel Emam (EGY)
Catchweight 65kg Rachid Hazoume (MAR) v Yanis Ghemmouri (ALG)
Lighweight Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 79kg Omar Hussein (PAL) v Souhil Tahiri (ALG)
Middleweight Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Laid Zerhouni (ALG)
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
UAE - India ties
The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner after the US and China
Annual bilateral trade between India and the UAE has crossed US$ 60 billion
The UAE is the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil for India
Indians comprise the largest community with 3.3 million residents in the UAE
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi first visited the UAE in August 2015
His visit on August 23-24 will be the third in four years
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visited India in February 2016
Sheikh Mohamed was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations in January 2017
Modi will visit Bahrain on August 24-25
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
