Egypt’s Ministry of Environment delivers largest sanitary landfill in Shubra El-Kheima to Giza Governorate

CAIRO – 3 July 2025: Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad and Minister of Local Development Manal Awad jointly announced the initial handover of the sanitary landfill in Shubra El-Kheima to Giza Governorate. The landfill is the largest of its kind in Egypt. 

The project marks a major milestone in the fifth phase of the state’s plan to upgrade municipal solid waste infrastructure and improve environmental services.

The landfill was officially handed over to Giza Governorate in the presence of senior officials from the two ministries, including Assistant Minister of Environment for Waste Affairs and Acting Head of the Waste Management Regulatory Agency Yasser Abdullah; Assistant Minister for Environment and Community Development Affairs Khaled Kassem; andDirector of the Solid Waste Unit at the Ministry of Local Development Ahmed Atef, alongside representatives from partner agencies and the Arab Organization for Industrialization.

Minister Yasmine Fouad noted that the sanitary landfill covers 71 acres, making it one of the largest in the Middle East. It includes two evaporation lakes with a combined area of 29,400 square meters, an internal road network spanning 14,000 square meters, and a range of technical and operational systems. These include a generator, electrical distribution panels, and a modern filtrate collection system featuring two 90 mm high-density polyethylene pipe [HDPE] pipelines connecting the landfill to the evaporation lakes.

Fouad emphasized that the landfill represents a model of integrated environmental infrastructure, implemented in accordance with the highest technical and environmental standards. It ensures safe and efficient solid waste management while mitigating risks associated with random dumping and open burning.

She added that the project aligns with Egypt’s climate action goals by helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions, supporting the transition to a green economy, and contributing to improved public health. The initiative is part of broader inter-ministerial efforts to build a sustainable, technology-driven waste management system across Egypt.

Minister Manal Awad stated that the project was completed at a total cost of LE 294 million. It includes advanced operational features such as leachate pumps, a seven-line tunnel pipe system for leachate transport, and two groundwater monitoring wells. Supporting infrastructure includes a security facility, generator and distribution rooms, lighting poles, water tanks, an administrative building, a fuel tank, and a vehicle wash station.

Awad highlighted that Giza Governorate has seen a significant boost in waste management projects in recent years. This includes the removal of 365,000 tons of historical waste from the Kaabish area at a cost of LE 63 million, and ongoing construction of the Shubra El-Kheima municipal solid waste treatment and recycling plant at a cost of LE 495 million.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Environment, additional projects are underway. These include two new sanitary landfills in Ayat and Atfih centers (with a cost of LE 125 million), a mobile intermediate station in Badrashin (LE 15 million), and the phase one of the Shubra El-Kheima landfill (LE 35 million).

Total investments in Giza’s integrated waste management system have reached approximately LE 1.25 billion, underscoring the state's commitment to building an effective, sustainable waste infrastructure that enhances public hygiene, environmental quality, and citizens’ well-being.