Egypt hopes ban on street ads can give cities face-lift
While the government argues that a new ban on street advertisements will beautify cities, critics fear a negative economic impact.
Egypt temporarily halted this month the issuance of any new licenses for street advertisements in an attempt to beautify cities and towns nationwide.
In a news conference Nov. 1, Minister of Local Development Hisham el-Sherif said that the Cabinet decided to halt the issuance of any new licenses until further notice.
“All governorates have been informed of the new decision in order to coordinate and implement it in light of the new instructions,” Sherif said, according to local media. The minister added that the decision to halt street advertisements does not apply to the country’s highways.
The government, Sherif noted, is planning to set up new councils tasked with improving the look of cities and towns across the country. Such councils, he added, aim to improve the current image of cities that do not fit with Egypt’s preferred aesthetics.
