Egypt’c cabinet approves legalization of 160 churches, affiliated buildings nationwide

CAIRO – 5 October 2025: The Egyptian Cabinet’s main committee for the legalization of churches and their affiliated service buildings approved the legalization of 160 churches and service buildings during its meeting on Sunday.

This decision brings the total number of churches and affiliated buildings legalized since the committee began its work in January 2017 to 3,621.

The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly and attended by senior officials, including Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development; Mr. Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities; Counselor Mahmoud Fawzy, Minister of Parliamentary, Legal Affairs, and Political Communication; Engineer Sherif El-Sherbiny, Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities; and Major General Khaled Zakaria, Deputy Head of the Licensing Department at the Armed Forces Engineering Authority, along with representatives from various ministries and agencies.

Cabinet spokesperson Counselor Mohamed El-Homsany stated that the committee reviewed the findings of recent assessments regarding the status of churches and service buildings that had submitted legalization requests.

He added that the meeting also included a follow-up on churches that had previously received approval, reaffirming the committee’s commitment to ensuring that all requirements for legalization are met.