Buying in Cairo: the districts and the first steps

About Buying in Cairo: the districts and the first steps

By the ULTIMATE Cairo Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Cairo’s property market has two faces. In the old city, buyers look at the apartments of Zamalek and Garden City, the villas and gardens of Maadi and the restored buildings of Downtown. To the east and west, the large gated compounds of New Cairo, Sheikh Zayed and 6th of October, built by developers such as SODIC, Palm Hills, Emaar Misr, Mountain View and Talaat Moustafa Group, offer houses with gardens and pools. The rules for foreign buyers are changing in 2026: take advice from an Egyptian lawyer before you commit.

The old districts

Zamalek, Garden City, Maadi and Downtown, where Al Ismaelia restores historic buildings.

The new compounds

New Cairo, Sheikh Zayed and 6th of October, from the developers listed here.

Visit the compounds on a weekday morning, before the traffic.

The rules

See our page on buying property in Cairo. We never publish prices.

Our advice: register any purchase properly, and use an Egyptian lawyer independent of the seller.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Buying in Cairo: the districts and the first steps before you go.