Giza Zoo to Reopen by End of 2026 Under Private Management

Egypt will privatise operations at Giza Zoo under a redevelopment plan that includes a phased reopening, beginning with a pilot phase before the zoo fully returns to visitors by the end of 2026. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the modernisation covers the zoo’s entire 112 feddans and is being carried out with state institutions, international consultants and zoo-welfare organisations. Current works include completing a pedestrian tunnel linking Giza Zoo to Orman Garden and redesigning major animal habitats. Animals have been relocated to temporary facilities while the African savannah and Asian zones undergo full reconstruction The Ministry of Agriculture and the veterinary authority will retain full oversight of the privately operated facility. Accreditation is being sought from the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Pan African Association of Zoos and Aquaria. Giza Zoo, which opened in 1891, lost its international classification in the early 2000s. In 2022, the government introduced a plan to revive both the zoo and the adjacent Orman Garden by preserving state ownership while assigning day-to-day operations to a specialised private company. The head of the National Alliance for the Development of Giza Zoo and Orman Garden confirmed that more than 118 new species have already been introduced, with plans to import 362 additional animals, and that three Asian elephants will be housed in a new 4.5-feddan enclosure. Current expenditure on the project ranges from EGP 1.07 to EGP 1.8 billion, with total investment expected to reach EGP 4 billion. Educational and cultural programming is part of the redevelopment plan, led by former ministers Tarek Shawki and Inas Abdel-Dayem, with a national competition selecting four Egyptian sculptors to create permanent installations within the zoo.