Obour City (El Obour, Al Obour) is an established city of roughly 550,000 residents about 35 km north-east of downtown Cairo in Qalyubia Governorate — not to be confused with New Obour City, the separate fourth-generation city being built next to it since 2016. Founded by decree in 1982, Obour City has operating utilities, schools, hospitals and a university, one of Egypt’s largest industrial zones with more than 1,100 working factories, the country’s biggest wholesale produce market, and a gated golf compound at its entrance. Apartment prices average around EGP 21,700 per square metre — well below New Cairo — and ready-to-move units are available from developers and on the resale market. This guide covers location, districts, services, the economy, prices, transport, pros and cons, and how Obour City compares with New Obour City, written by a developer that has been building here since 2001.
Summary in 5 points
- Location: Qalyubia Governorate, ~35 km NE of Cairo, between the Cairo–Ismailia and Cairo–Suez roads, on the Middle Ring Road; airport ~15 minutes, Adly Mansour metro/LRT interchange minutes from the Gesr El Suez entrance.
- Size and people: 16,000 feddans of urban mass plus 16,400 feddans of expansion; 91,806 housing units; ~550,000 residents per the city authority (the 2023 census counted fewer registered residents).
- Economy: 1,119 operating factories, 73,362 jobs, 464 more factories under construction, Egypt’s largest wholesale produce market, and Obour University of Science and Technology (teaching since 2025/26).
- Prices (2026): apartments ≈ EGP 21,700/m² on average; gated compounds ≈ 32,900/m²; District 7 ≈ 26,900; District 9 ≈ 19,850. Ouda ready units from 17,000/m² (Isis Cairo) and 25,000/m² cash (Golf City).
- Obour vs New Obour: established and complete vs new and under development — different cities, different logic.
Where is Obour City? Location and access
Obour City sits in Qalyubia Governorate within Greater Cairo, from km 9 to km 15 of the Cairo–Belbeis Desert Road, with an additional zone at km 26 of the Cairo–Ismailia Desert Road. The Cairo–Ismailia road bounds it to the north and the Cairo–Suez road to the south, and the Middle Ring Road links it to New Cairo, the New Administrative Capital and the airport corridor.
| From | To Obour City (Isis Cairo / Gesr El Suez entrance) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cairo International Airport | ≈ 15 minutes | Via the Cairo–Ismailia road |
| Downtown Cairo | ≈ 20 minutes off-peak, longer at rush hour | Via Salah Salem / Cairo–Ismailia |
| Nasr City | ≈ 25 minutes | |
| New Administrative Capital | ≈ 30 minutes | Via the Middle Ring Road / Suez road |
| Adly Mansour interchange (Metro Line 3, LRT, railway) | minutes | Nearest mass-transit hub |
| Badr, Shorouk, Madinaty | neighbouring cities | To the east |
Timings are from Ouda’s Isis Cairo project page and are indicative; measure your own commute at peak time before deciding. Distances from Golf City at the city’s main entrance are similar to those from the Gesr El Suez side.
A short history: 1982 to today
Obour City was created by Prime Ministerial Decree 1290 of 1982, amended by Presidential Decree 59 of 2003, as one of Egypt’s first-generation new cities east of Cairo. Its urban mass covers 16,000 feddans — residential, service, industrial, tourism and recreational zones — and Presidential Decree 66 of 2009 added 16,400 feddans of expansion land. The city has 91,806 housing units and, according to the New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA), around 550,000 residents against a target of 600,000. The 2023 national census recorded a lower figure for registered residents (about 143,000), a common gap between census registration and the city authority’s estimate of actual occupants.
The practical point for a buyer: this is a city that has finished its building cycle. Utilities, schools, markets and private services have been operating for decades — what you see on a viewing day is what you get.
Districts of Obour City
The city is organised by housing level rather than by a single grid. A quick map of what each area is for:
| Area | Character | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Numbered districts (First, Third, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth …) | Apartment blocks with complete services; age and level vary by district | Moving in now |
| Villas district | Standalone villas on large plots | Families seeking privacy |
| Golf City (gated compound) | ~500 feddans at the city entrance: golf course, international schools, mall, clubhouse, hotel | Managed community, resale value |
| New Gesr El Suez / Amenhotep | Existing residential complexes near Adly Mansour station (Isis Cairo) | Lowest price per m² for a ready unit |
| Youth & Future housing | Subsidised housing | Young buyers, limited budgets |
| Economic & national housing | Small units | Budget living, rental yield |
| Central area | Commercial and administrative | Commercial investment |
| Industrial zone (south-west) | 1,119 factories, wholesale market at its entrance | Jobs and rental demand |
Among the numbered districts, the First District is the oldest and most complete; the Seventh is the most expensive (≈ EGP 26,900/m²) and closest to Carrefour Obour; the Eighth is known for villas and quiet streets near Ain Shams Specialised Hospital; the Ninth is the newest and least expensive (≈ EGP 19,850/m²). The Sixth hosts Ouda’s Solana villas near Al Forsan School and the Sixth District tunnel. District boundaries should always be checked on the official city plan, not on Google Maps, where labels are user-contributed.
Services and infrastructure: what is actually operating
Figures published by the city authority on NUCA’s website:
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Drinking water | Treatment plant of 660,000 m³/day, expanding to 1.1 million m³/day; 1,170 km of networks |
| Sewage | 815 km of networks and 4 lift stations feeding the Gabal El Asfar treatment plant |
| Electricity | 4 substations, 5,991.5 km of networks |
| Roads | 559 km built |
| Telecoms | 135,600 lines, 1,260 km of networks |
| Green areas | 1.2 million m² |
| Service buildings (NUCA) | 78 built: 16 operating schools (+5 under construction), 3 institutes, 8 hospitals and medical centres (6 operating), 5 mosques and a church, 13 social-service buildings, 4 sports facilities |
| Service buildings (private) | 76 built, 79 under construction |
| University | Obour University of Science and Technology, km 21 Cairo–Belbeis road, teaching since the 2025/26 academic year |
Everyday landmarks include Carrefour Obour, Ain Shams University Specialised Hospital in Obour, City Club, Golf City Mall and several private international schools (Hotep, El Nozha, Nefertari, BBC, Seeds, Royal King near Isis Cairo). Nearby universities include Misr International University, New Heliopolis University and Benha University’s Obour branch.
The economy: a city that works, not a dormitory
Obour is one of Egypt’s largest industrial cities: 1,119 producing factories with EGP 9,784.6 million of invested capital and 73,362 jobs, plus 464 factories under construction expected to add 13,077 jobs. At the industrial zone’s entrance on the Cairo–Ismailia road (km 25) sits Souq El Obour, Egypt’s largest wholesale fruit-and-vegetable market on about 300 feddans (140 feddans for the central market, 50 for future extension, 110 for an industrial area), roughly 4 km from the Ring Road — the market whose prices the whole country tracks daily.
Why this matters if you are buying: an economy of this size inside the city means permanent, local rental demand — from factory staff, market traders, university students and service workers — rather than seasonal or speculative demand. It also means heavy-goods traffic on the main roads at certain hours, which is one of the city’s genuine drawbacks (see below).
Apartment prices in Obour City 2026
Independent market figures first, then the developer’s official list:
| Indicator | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average asking price, apartments | ≈ EGP 21,700/m² | The Property Stats, May 2026 |
| Average, apartments (portal index) | ≈ EGP 22,150/m² | Aqarmap, 2026 |
| Gated compounds | ≈ EGP 32,900/m² | The Property Stats, May 2026 |
| Seventh District | ≈ EGP 26,900/m² | The Property Stats, May 2026 |
| Ninth District | ≈ EGP 19,850/m² | The Property Stats, May 2026 |
| Year-on-year change | ≈ +27.57% | The Property Stats, May 2026 |
Ouda Developments’ official prices for ready-to-move units inside Obour City, valid as of 26 August 2026:
| Project | Location | Sizes | Price | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golf City Al-Obour | City entrance, gated compound | 150 – 500 m² (apartments, duplexes, roofs, townhouses, villas) | Cash EGP 25,000 – 28,000/m² · instalments 30,000 – 34,000/m² | 50% down · up to 24 months |
| Isis Cairo (Yasmeen 1, 2, 3/4, El Nada) | Amenhotep, New Gesr El Suez | 165 · 174 · 175 · 195 · 205 m² | EGP 2,805,000 – 4,125,000 (17,000 – 17,500/m²) | 50% down · up to 24 months |
| El Masa Tower | Inside Isis Cairo | Per unit | On request — delivered tower, limited units | 50% down · up to 24 months |
| Solana villas | Sixth District | Villas | From EGP 24,000/m² cash | 50% down · up to 24 months |
For the New Obour side, Ouda’s Canary Compound in District 25 starts from EGP 27,000/m² pre-launch with 15% down and 6 years interest-free — see Apartments for Sale in New Obour City. The full official list is on the prices page.
Obour City vs New Obour City
The two names cause more wasted viewings than anything else. They are neighbouring but entirely different cities:
| Obour City | New Obour City | |
|---|---|---|
| Established | 1982 | 2016 |
| Area | 16,000 + 16,400 feddans | ≈ 58,914 feddans |
| Utilities and services | Complete, operating for decades | Delivered in phases |
| Residents | ≈ 550,000 (city authority) | Still being populated |
| What is for sale | Ready units — developers and resale | Off-plan compounds, land offerings |
| Ouda’s payment terms | 50% down · 24 months | 15% down · 6 years, 0% interest |
| Price logic | Present value, stable | Entry price, tied to infrastructure progress |
| Best for | Living now, rental income | Early buying, medium-term investment |
If you need to move in within months, stay in this guide. If you can wait three years for a lower entry price, read the New Obour City guide and the District 25 page.
Golf City: the compound at the city entrance
Golf City is Obour’s reference compound: about 500 feddans at the main entrance near the Middle Ring Road and the Ismailia road, with golf courses, international schools, Golf City Mall, a clubhouse with pools, a Radisson Blu hotel (Radisson Hotel Group announced the 255-room Radisson Blu Cairo Golf City in February 2019, 10 km from the airport), restaurants, banks and the Geroland amusement park. Ouda has built more than 200 feddans inside it over ten years — the Sondos, Safari, Morouj, Rayhana and Yasmeen groups and the hotel units — and sells ready units in completed, inhabited buildings (ground + two floors, 20 units per building, semi-finished interiors). The honest review — pros, cons and who it does not suit — is in Golf City Obour: Review 2026.
Pros and cons of living in Obour City
Pros
- Everything operates today: utilities, schools, hospitals, markets, a university — no waiting for infrastructure.
- Prices well below New Cairo for a complete city; ready units from EGP 17,000/m² direct from a developer.
- Permanent rental demand from 73,000+ industrial jobs, the wholesale market and the university.
- Access: airport ≈ 15 minutes, Adly Mansour metro/LRT interchange, Middle Ring Road.
- You can inspect the actual unit, talk to neighbours and time your commute before paying anything.
Cons
- About 35 km from central Cairo — a long daily commute if you work in west Cairo (Mohandessin, 6th of October, Sheikh Zayed).
- Internal transport relies on microbuses and private cars; Adly Mansour station is close to the Gesr El Suez entrance but not to the inner districts.
- Heavy-goods traffic on the main roads because of the industrial zone and the wholesale market, especially early morning.
- Older building stock in the first districts — factor renovation into resale prices.
- Limited new supply inside the city; ready developer units sell one by one.
- Busy commercial streets — choose an inner street or a gated compound if quiet matters.
Who should buy in Obour City — and who should not
Obour City suits families who need to move within months into a city with working services at a price below New Cairo, people who work in east Cairo or inside the city, investors who want rental income from month one, and older residents who value medical services and shops within walking distance. It does not suit daily commuters to west Cairo, buyers who want a brand-new fourth-generation city (that is New Obour), or speculators looking for pre-launch price jumps — those happen in New Obour’s expansion zones, not in an established city.
How to buy in Obour City: a 6-step checklist
- Pick the district by your commute, measured at peak time from the building entrance, not from the city centre.
- Choose the product: a numbered-district building (lower price, no management) or a gated compound (security, management, green space, maintenance fees).
- Choose the seller: resale from an owner (wider choice, deeper checks on title and building condition) or a developer (published prices, direct contract, after-sales management).
- Inspect twice — at rush hour and in the evening — and check meters, water pressure, drainage, elevator and roof.
- Get a written offer with unit number, net area, price, full instalment schedule, finishing level and handover date; review the contract with a lawyer before signing.
- Compare total cost, not price per m²: add finishing, the maintenance deposit (7.5% in Ouda’s compounds) and registration.
Ouda’s ready units in the city are listed on the projects page; villas and townhouses on the villas page.
About Ouda Developments in Obour
Ouda Developments is an Egyptian–Saudi real-estate developer founded in 2019 whose founding team has been building in Obour City since 2001. It has delivered 1,065 units totalling 555,079.65 m² (1,056 residential), most of them inside Obour City — Golf City groups, Isis Cairo / Amenhotep buildings, villas in the Seventh District — with deliveries between 2020 and 2026 that can be visited. Its partner BRAVO, a Saudi asset and facility management company with over 3,000 staff, is an ownership and founding partner and manages the communities after handover. Prices and payment terms are published on this website with a date. Head office: Uni Mall, Obour Axis, Obour City, Qalyubia · hotline 17793 · WhatsApp +20 103 355 3777. More on Why choose Ouda and previous work.
Frequently asked questions about Obour City
Where is Obour City located?
Obour City (El Obour) is in Qalyubia Governorate, about 35 km north-east of downtown Cairo, between the Cairo–Ismailia Desert Road to the north and the Cairo–Suez Road to the south, running from km 9 to km 15 of the Cairo–Belbeis Desert Road. It is served by the Middle Ring Road, and Cairo International Airport is roughly 15 minutes away.
What is the difference between Obour City and New Obour City?
Obour City was established in 1982, has complete utilities and services and around 550,000 residents according to the city authority. New Obour City is a separate fourth-generation city established in 2016 on about 58,914 feddans, still being developed in phases. Obour City suits buyers who want to move in now; New Obour City suits early buyers who can wait for delivery.
How much do apartments cost in Obour City in 2026?
The average asking price for apartments in Obour City is about EGP 21,700 per m² (The Property Stats, May 2026) and around EGP 32,900 per m² inside gated compounds. Ouda’s official ready-to-move prices are EGP 17,000–17,500 per m² at Isis Cairo (Gesr El Suez) and EGP 25,000–28,000 per m² cash at Golf City, valid as of 26 August 2026.
What are the districts of Obour City?
The city is organised into numbered districts (the First District is the oldest and most complete; the Seventh is the most expensive at about EGP 26,900/m²; the Ninth is the newest and least expensive at about EGP 19,850/m²), a villas district, gated compounds such as Golf City at the city entrance, the New Gesr El Suez / Amenhotep area near Adly Mansour station, youth and economic housing zones, a central business area and a large industrial zone to the south-west.
Is Obour City a good place to live?
Yes, for people who work in east Cairo or inside the city and want complete services at prices well below New Cairo. It has operating schools, hospitals, a university, a wholesale market and 1,119 factories providing over 73,000 jobs. Its main drawbacks are the 35 km distance from central Cairo, heavy-goods traffic on the main roads and the age of buildings in the oldest districts.
What is Golf City Obour?
A gated compound of about 500 feddans at the entrance of Obour City with golf courses, international schools, Golf City Mall, a clubhouse and a Radisson Blu hotel. Ouda Developments has built more than 200 feddans inside it and sells ready-to-move apartments, townhouses and villas from 150 to 500 m² at EGP 25,000–28,000 per m² cash, 50% down and 24 months to pay.
How do I get to Obour City by public transport?
Adly Mansour interchange station — Cairo Metro Line 3, the LRT light rail and the national railway — is minutes from the Gesr El Suez entrance of the city. Inside the city, transport relies on microbuses and private cars, so choose a district near the main roads or the Gesr El Suez entrance if you do not drive.
Who builds in Obour City?
Ouda Developments, an Egyptian–Saudi partnership with BRAVO, has delivered 1,065 units (555,079.65 m²) mostly inside Obour City, with ready units at Golf City, Isis Cairo, El Masa Tower and Solana. Other developers have announced new compounds in the city and in New Obour since 2024; check any developer’s delivered record before buying.
Next step
Spend a day in the city before you decide: a morning viewing, a peak-hour test commute and an evening walk in the district. Book a viewing at Golf City or Isis Cairo, or call 17793 / WhatsApp +20 103 355 3777 for today’s official list of ready units.
Sources: New Urban Communities Authority — Obour City data · The Property Stats — Obour apartment prices 2026 · Property Finder — Obour City area guide · Wikipedia — Obour (city), 2023 census figure. Market averages are asking prices at their publication date; Ouda prices are valid as of 26 August 2026 and subject to change.