Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has ordered the immediate suspension of utility services to sites where illegal construction is detected on agricultural land, describing the protection of farmland as a matter of “national security” directly linked to the country’s food security.
Madbouly issued the directive during the first meeting of the newly formed Board of Governors on Saturday. He emphasized that safeguarding every acre of farmland is no longer an administrative choice but a “national obligation,” insisting that utilities must be disconnected within 48 hours of detecting illegal development. Removal of structures must be carried out while buildings remain at the foundation stage.
“To protect our agricultural resources, no construction should surpass the foundation stage under any circumstances,” the Prime Minister said, warning that delays in enforcing removal orders would be treated as “gross negligence.”
The cabinet has introduced four mandatory performance indicators for all local officials to ensure compliance. Metrics will be measured monthly and focus on the speed of detecting encroachments, the time taken to implement removal orders, the frequency of repeat violations in the same area, and the total net loss of agricultural land.
Madbouly said the upcoming month of Ramadan would serve as a “practical test” for the governors, who recently took their constitutional oaths before President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. He instructed them to personally monitor the availability and price stability of essential commodities daily and to coordinate fully with supply and regulatory agencies to prevent monopolistic practices or unjustified price hikes. Each governorate must submit weekly reports detailing commodity status, interventions carried out, and existing challenges.
“The citizen is waiting for a direct impact on the ground. Our basic criterion will be what is actually achieved, not what is presented on paper,” he said. Governors are to identify three urgent issues in their jurisdictions and establish clear action plans with short timeframes for results.
Madbouly also highlighted several key priorities, including the “Haya Karima” (Decent Life) initiative, which he described as the most significant programme requiring diligent follow-up across all governorates. Governors are to inventory all stalled or suspended projects to identify financial or administrative obstacles and maximise internal resources and revenues from state property, advertisements, and markets. They are also encouraged to incorporate digital tools and data dashboards to support evidence-based management.
In addition, Madbouly stressed the importance of a “positive partnership” between the executive and legislative branches. Governors were instructed to hold regular meetings with members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, engage them in field visits and project inaugurations, and use the Unified Government Complaints System as an early diagnostic tool to detect recurring problems before they escalate.
The meeting included Minister of Local Development and Environment Manal Awad and several governors, including Giza Governor Ahmed al-Ansari, North Sinai Governor Khaled Megawer, Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber, Luxor Governor Abdel Mottaleb Mamdouh, Aswan Governor Amr Helmy, and Qalyubia Governor Hossam Abdel-Fattah, with other governors joining via video conference.
The Prime Minister’s directive comes amid ongoing concerns over the rapid loss of Egypt’s fertile agricultural land to unregulated urban expansion, illegal construction, and infrastructure encroachment, which authorities have linked to threats to national food security.
By linking enforcement to utility disconnection and strict performance monitoring, the government aims to ensure that illegal development is halted promptly, while simultaneously strengthening oversight of public projects and essential commodity management during the holy month of Ramadan.
Agricultural land is a critical resource for Egypt, a country where arable land constitutes less than six percent of the total area, largely concentrated along the Nile Valley and Delta. The country’s dense population—over 110 million people—makes the preservation of farmland vital for ensuring national food security and sustaining livelihoods in rural areas.
Egypt has long struggled with illegal construction and urban encroachment on fertile agricultural land. Rapid urbanisation, population growth, and infrastructure development pressures have led to unregulated expansion into farmlands, often without planning permission or compliance with zoning regulations. Such encroachments reduce the availability of productive land, disrupt irrigation networks, and threaten the country’s agricultural output.
The government has repeatedly highlighted the link between farmland preservation and national security, arguing that the loss of arable land directly affects the ability to produce sufficient food locally, increases reliance on imports, and exposes the country to global market fluctuations. According to official estimates, thousands of acres have been lost in recent decades due to illegal structures, unapproved settlements, and industrial or commercial developments on agricultural plots.
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To curb these violations, successive Egyptian administrations have enacted laws restricting construction on agricultural land and imposed penalties, including fines, demolition orders, and criminal charges for violators. Enforcement has historically been inconsistent, partly due to bureaucratic delays, weak monitoring systems, and local-level corruption.
In recent years, the government has adopted stricter measures, linking enforcement to utility disconnections, rapid demolition of structures in early construction stages, and mandatory reporting metrics for local officials. These measures aim to ensure timely action against encroachments and strengthen compliance with national land-use policies.
Egypt has also launched initiatives to modernise agriculture and improve land management, including digital mapping, GIS-based monitoring of agricultural zones, and promotion of vertical and intensive farming methods to maximise productivity on available farmland. Projects like “Haya Karima” (Decent Life) aim to improve rural livelihoods while ensuring sustainable land use and enhancing local governance.
Preserving agricultural land is therefore not only an economic necessity but a social and political priority for Egypt. Officials argue that without rigorous protection of farmland, the country faces long-term risks to food security, rural employment, and socio-economic stability.
