Law & Regulation
Desert Land Law
Egypt's principal desert-land ownership and allocation law. Historically restricted ownership to Egyptians or majority-Egyptian-owned companies; materially amended by Law No. 11 of 2024 (24 February 2024, amending Articles 11 and 12) to permit non-Egyptian ownership of desert land without restriction, except in the Sinai Peninsula, which remains separately restricted on national-security grounds.
Legal Significance
What This Instrument Does
Governs the allocation and ownership of desert land, the site type used by most large infrastructure and renewable-energy projects in Egypt.
Why It Matters
The 2024 liberalization directly affects foreign investors' and developers' ability to hold desert-land project sites outright.
Legal Framework Position
- Land / Real Estate / Land UsePrimary / Framework Instrument
Instrument Overview
- Official Citation
- Law No. 143 of 1981, as amended by Law No. 11 of 2024
- Instrument Type
- Law / Act
- Last Amended Date
- 24 February 2024
- Last Verified
- 30 September 2026
Official Source
View official source ↗Recent Developments
- Regulatory · 24 February 2024Egypt amends Desert Land Law to permit foreign ownership
Law No. 11 of 2024, issued 24 February 2024, amended Articles 11 and 12 of the Desert Land Law (Law 143/1981) to permit non-Egyptian ownership of desert land without restriction, except in the Sinai Peninsula, which remains separately restricted.