Recently, news spread about the establishment of the first recreational wheel in Egypt. It was named “Ain Cairo” or Cairo Eye. Zamalek neighborhood in western Cairo was chosen to be the place of the project.
This comes within the state’s investment projects in construction and reconstruction work to support tourism and increase hard currency in Egypt. Meanwhile, the idea of the wheel and its geographical location did not impress all people; they were divided between supporters and opponents about where to build that wheel.
All information about the Cairo Eye Project
Ain Cairo is the largest touristic and entertainment wheel in Africa, with a height of 120 meters from the surface of the earth, in Zamalek neighborhood in Cairo Governorate. This project comes within the investment projects recently announced by the state. It will be implemented in cooperation with Hawaii Tourism and Investment Company to implement the first rotating wheel in the entire continent of Africa.
It is a 40-year-old company in Egypt and they have local and regional projects in several countries such as Egypt and Tanzania. It has accumulated experiences since 1973.
The idea of the wheel is not the first of its kind. However, it is spread in most capitals of the world, the most important of which is the London Wheel and Dubai, and finally in Egypt, where you can see the monuments and tourism from the top.
The Total Cost of the Cairo Eye Project and the Job Opportunities It Provides
The cost of the project reaches EGP 500 million, which is estimated at $31.9 million, funded by the private sector. It will be implemented in the Obelisk Garden in front of the Cairo Tower on an area of 5 thousand square meters. The total land area is 20 thousand square meters.
The Cairo Eye project is part of the country’s strategic plan and Egypt’s Vision 2030, which is being implemented according to the directions of the political leadership. It is expected that the wheel will receive 2.5 million visitors annually, which will of course affect the total number of direct and indirect labor that will be provided by the project, direct employment will reach 1,200 employees, and indirect employment is about 4,000 employees.
Available Services in Cairo Eye
- The spectator in Ain Cairo will be able to see the city for a distance of 50 kilometers and enjoy seeing the sights and monuments of Cairo in a panoramic view.
- The Cairo Wheel has 48 cabins with a capacity of 8 visitors each. They can see the sights of the city, with the existence of a TV screen that provides a detailed explanation of what is around them.
- Entertainment and tourism services, gift shops and restaurants around the wheel, which make the visit a pleasant experience.
- Open air landscapes and enjoy the view of the Nile.
- There are also various commercial for sale to investment in Zamalek, even though it is one of the best areas that carries the great Egyptian heritage
Facilities Provided by the Cairo Eye Project For Visitors
- Cairo Eye is located in the heart of the Zamalek neighborhood. As we know the crowding of this residential neighborhood, the project decided to ensure the traffic flow for visitors by providing various means of access to the project location, such as the river transport service using Ain Cairo taxi and Ain Cairo buses for the free transport Hop On/Hop Off
- The project provides a car park with a capacity of 500 cars above the ground and two upper floors, using the latest parking management technology to ensure smooth movement to and from the project
- A lot of services and facilities that guarantee your spending for an unforgettable entertainment experience. Around Cairo Eye, there are retail Commercial stores for a range of international brands. There are restaurants that offer you the most luxurious duties, and an entertainment and events area
- Garages, parking areas for your car, a bus stop, and a multi-purpose event hall overlooking the Nile with an area of 1,000 square meters
Controversy of Cairo Eye Project between Supporters and Opponents
When it was announced for the first time that a wheel will be built in Zamalek neighborhood in Cairo, opinions opposing the project were flooded, whether through means of media communication (social media), or the telephone input of politicians and investment in Egypt in several television programs, or even from some representatives in Parliament, or heritage activists.
What Makes the Cairo Eye Entertainment Project Controversial?
There are some controversial points about the project. Among these points is the fact that the project did not take into account the traffic situation in a densely populated residential area, such as Zamalek
Questioning the economic importance of the project, as visitors can see the Egyptian Museum, which is only about a kilometer and a half away from the wheel and has real monuments, or they can see Egypt from the top through the Cairo Tower, which is only 500 meters from the wheel and whose ticket is worth EGP 40, while it is expected that The wheel ticket is three times Cairo Tower’s ticket.
Distorting the Aesthetic Features of Zamalek
The objections began to aggravate even from the residents of the Zamalek District through an electronic campaign to collect signatures demanding the suspension of the project, and already 1500 residents signed the petition and sent it to the Egyptian President urging him to consider other places to establish the project away from the residential neighborhood
The Controversy of the Project
The information provided about the project is incomplete, not clear enough, and did not take into account the environmental or traffic situation,But if you are looking for luxury apartment at a reasonable price, do not hesitate to choose this area, as the apartments match the specifications, and the ideal prices with the services it provides
The project has not submitted studies proving that setting up the wheel will not spoil the environment, especially that it will consume a huge amount of electricity, in addition to what it will cause in terms of visual, audio, and climate pollution
The company’s illogical numbers, as the Hawaii company responsible for implementing the Cairo Eye project announced that the project receives 2.5 million tourists per year, which means the arrival of 7,000 people per day. With 2.5 million and a half visitors per year, it means that the project works for 20 hours, so that it receives 350 visitors every hour, and these are numbers that will not be realized in reality. If it is achieved, it will result in a huge traffic jam in central Cairo.
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The shrinking of green spaces in the Zamalek neighborhood, which currently stands at more than 2%, due to the construction of the project on the facilities in the park.
The Importance of the Project: It Reveals 12 Tourist Attractions From Its Top
- The project was designed taking into account all environmental considerations and preserving the identity and entity of the Zamalek area, as the design plan relied on increasing the green areas of the project by 15% to reach 7,000 square meters instead of 6,100 square meters currently,Also available in Zamalek are luxury residential properties available for sale
- The possibility of booking tickets for the Ferris wheel electronically, to avoid traffic jams, and control the number of visitors
- It is an important economic project, as it contributes to improving tourism and the entry of hard currency into Egypt
It is assumed that the project will be completed within 18 months, by the end of 2022 the wheel will be available to receive visitors.