A number of Egypt's authorities started complying with the directives of Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi concerning painting the facades of buildings, especially unpainted brick ones, with a single color, which can differ according to each group of governorates. The step comes in efforts to restore and preserve cultural appearance of the country's governorates and avoid visual distortion. Mohamed Abu Saada, head of the National Organization for Urban Harmony, said that the decision has come into effect in the Khedival Cairo area. Painting licenses will be issued and violators will be punished, Abu Saada added. The governorates were divided into groups, Abu Saada said, adding that each group will have its own common color. The buildings of Cairo and Upper Egypt governorates will be painted with dusty colors, while the coastal governorates will be painted in blue, he continued. Mahmoud Shaarawi, minister of local development, said that the president's directives to standardize the color of the facades of houses and buildings come within the framework of law no. 119 of 2008. The law requires real estate owners to paint the facades of their buildings before they receive facilities, Shaarawi explained. Adel al-Ghadban, governor of Port Said in north east Egypt, said that huge economic projects have been implemented in the governorate, adding that authorities work on beautifying the city's squares and streets to be ready to receive economic entities. In an interview with Kol Youm on ON E, Ghadban said the governorate has offered landlords a time limit to paint their buildings, which ends at the end of March, adding that services will be cut off from the buildings that do not comply with the strategy. Source: Egypt Today
