Ten Unique Co-Working Spaces in Cairo

With more people working from home and launching their own business, co-working spaces are proving to be a good alternative for people to work and meet. The energised atmosphere, convenient services, and state-of-the-art co-working facilities all help eliminate the feeling of isolation and lead to increased productivity.  According to research by Harvard Business Review, people who frequently use co-working spaces experience an increase in productivity and overall work satisfaction. Using co-working spaces also helps establish a clear divide between work and home, creating greater autonomy and structure for the day. In Cairo, there is no shortage of co-working spaces. From refurbished heritage sites to sleek and modern hubs, co-working spaces have become popular destinations for all types of workers. Below are ten co-working spaces across the city that promote a positive work environment while also ensuring maximum productivity.

Sultana Malak Palace

The Sultana Malak Palace in Heliopolis - previously known as the Sultan Hussein Kamel Palace - was recently renovated into a modern-day innovation hub, as part of the government’s goal to transform historical buildings into centres of creativity and entrepreneurship. Originally designed by famed French architect Alexandre Marcel in 1908, the building has been refurbished to include laboratories for international companies, advanced technological laboratories, technology incubators for emerging companies, training and meeting rooms, and of course co-working spaces. Although the palace has been repurposed, it still maintains its timeless architecture featuring traditional Islamic ornaments on the outside, such as muqarnas columns, pointed arches, and foliage balconies, as well as a neoclassical style on the inside.

Consoleya

Another historical building that has been recently renovated into a modern co-working space is the Consoleya. Originally built as a French consulate, the 95-year-old building in downtown Tahrir Street has been acquired by Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investments in 2014 and repurposed to accommodate Egypt’s growing startup community. Today, the iconic four-story white building boasts private and shared meeting rooms, lounges, halls, terraces and a rooftop overlooking downtown Cairo’s sprawling streets. Catering to small businesses, startups and freelancers, the upscale space provides a plug and play solution for businesses and individuals to receive and meet guests, as well as work in fully equipped private offices.

Maktabi

A creative work hub, Maktabi is ideal for people working in the creative industry. Located in the 110-year-old iconic Shorbagy building in the heart of downtown Cairo, the centre offers a number of beautifully designed workspaces, each with its own unique style and colour scheme to help people get their creative juices flowing. In addition to workspaces and meeting rooms, the hub can also host workshops and accommodate independent and commercial photo shoots.

Startup Haus

Also located in downtown Cairo is Startup Haus. Established by enpact Egypt and Drosos Foundation, Startup Haus is another coworking space that aims to bring together a vibrant community of young professionals including entrepreneurs, freelancers and individual consultants. While its meeting rooms, arena and coworking areas promote collaboration and the exchange of ideas, its minimalistic design concept encourages people to get work done. The workspace is also home to workshops, exhibitions and events geared for the startup community in Egypt. Visitors can choose from a variety of packages including day passes and monthly subscriptions.

The Bunker

The Bunker is a cosy co-working space in Heliopolis with various work stations, a garden rooftop and various forms of entertainment, including a foosball game table to use during breaks. The space is also aesthetically designed to include bunk stations on top of each other, while still maintaining an open communal space. Attracting more of a young crowd, The Bunker is ideal for freelancers, entrepreneurs, startups, students and even readers who wish to have a quiet place to read a book.

Urban Station

The first global network for mobile workers, Urban Station is characterised by its bright, yellow interiors and modern office design. Located in Mohandiseen, the co-working space has branches around the world including Mexico, Argentina, Columbia, Chile, and now Egypt. Featuring conference rooms, an open office space, and an auditorium to host talks and workshops, Urban Station is ideal for entrepreneurs, freelancers and those looking for a quiet place to work.

KMT 

Located in the leafy suburb of Maadi, KMT is an old mansion dating back to World War II that has been turned into an entrepreneurial and innovation hub for entrepreneurs, as well as a space for community events, talks and workshops. KMT features a large outdoor garden dubbing as a cosy coworking space, as well as an indoor communal area to hangout, have coffee or organise events. The house offers a variety of flexible packages ranging from daily passes to team packages, to suit the needs of entrepreneurs, freelancers and young professionals.

CO-55

Perhaps one of the chicest co-working spaces in the city is CO-55. With branches in New Cairo and Nasr City, CO-55 is a sleek, modern co-working space that features private meeting rooms, offices, a quiet booth for Zoom calls, and a large co-working area. It is ideal for businesses, startups, freelancers and independent consultants who wish to work in a professional setting with minimal disruptions. CO-55 is also gearing up to launch a new location in New Cairo soon.

Roomsquared

Situated in Nasr City, Roomsquared is a quiet and calm coworking space that is ideal for people looking to get work done. Entrepreneurs, freelancers and remote workers can choose to work from private offices, meeting rooms or simply an open co-working space.  The hub also supports entrepreneurs in registering their business at Roomsquared, bringing their startup to life without having to worry about endless paperwork and legalities.

MQR

The list would not be complete without including MQR. Previously known as Al Maqarr, MQR is considered one of the leading co-working spaces in Egypt with several branches across the country including Heliopolis, New Cairo, Al Rehab, Maadi, Downtown, 6th of October City, Sheikh Zayed City, and as far as El Gouna by the Red Sea. Initially established to serve startups, the co-working hub now caters to freelancers or people working from home looking to change their routines and surrounding environment. MQR’s hubs include training rooms, private spaces, meeting rooms and floating desks, in addition to a community care team that’s always available.