The Egyptian Desert Land Law is an Egyptian Law No. 143 of 1981 (and its amendments 55/1988, 205/1991, & 96/1995) that governs the acquisition and ownership of desert land in Egypt.

Desert Land in Egypt

Egypt is predominantly desert. Only 35,000 km² - 3.5% - of the total land area is cultivated and permanently settled. Most of the country lies within the wide band of mostly uninhabited desert that stretches eastwards from Africa's Atlantic Coast across the

continent A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas t ...

and into southwest Asia. Egypt's main desert areas are: * Western Desert (from the Nile valley to the border with Libya) *

Eastern Desert The Eastern Desert (Archaically known as Arabia or the Arabian Desert) is the part of the Sahara desert that is located east of the Nile river. It spans of North-Eastern Africa and is bordered by the Nile river to the west and the Red Sea an ...

(from the Nile Valley to the

Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; ...

coast) *

Sinai Peninsula The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai (now usually ) (, , cop, Ⲥⲓⲛⲁ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is ...

Principles of the Desert Land Law

Article 1 of Law No. 143 defines desert land as the land two kilometers outside the border of the city. Certain limits are placed on the number of

feddan A feddan ( ar, فدّان, faddān) is a unit of area used in Egypt, Sudan, Syria, and the Oman. In Classical Arabic, the word means 'a yoke of oxen', implying the area of ground that could be tilled by oxen in a certain time. In Egypt, the fedda ...

s (one feddan is equal to 1.038 acres or 4200 m²) that may be owned by individuals, families, co-operatives, partnerships and corporations: * up to 150 feddans for individuals. * up to 10,000 feddans for partnerships. * up to 50,000 feddans for joint-stock companies. Foreign partners and shareholders may be involved, provided Egyptians own at least 51% of the capital. However, upon liquidation of the company, the land must revert to the Egyptians. The lease of desert land for more than a period of 50 years shall also be considered to be ownership under Law 143. Although companies formed under the Investment Law No. 8/1997 do not require Egyptian participation, companies that undertake projects over desert land must be owned in their majority by Egyptians. According to the law 55 of 1988, the President of the Republic may decide to treat Arab nationals as Egyptian nationals for purposes of this law.

Desert Land in Egypt

Principles of the Desert Land Law

Amendments

References

External links