There are so many billboards on the sides of Egypt's city roads that drivers are becoming distracted. Money is being made from the adverts, but the government recognizes it's impacting people's travel experience driving around Cairo.

Cairo

The number of billboards lining Egyptian city roads has risen sharply in recent years, with figures increasing from 2,500 to 6,300 since 2019. This growth has led to a doubling of out-of-home advertising revenue, reaching $130 million last year, and is helping to fund road maintenance.

However, the proliferation of bright LED billboards has caused discomfort and distraction for drivers, with some reporting difficulty seeing the road at night. Urban development experts and government officials have also raised concerns about the impact on the city's character and are calling for tighter regulations to ensure billboards meet aesthetic standards.

Egypt’s billboard boom strains eyes but raises profits

Multiplying billboards vying for attention on the sides of Egyptian city roads are becoming a distraction for drivers, particularly at night, when the bright LED lights mean people like Ahmed Adel have to strain to see the roads in Cairo. So, when an ad like this comes on, I either put this down or look the other way or close my eyes or lower them. This is definitely not right. It's not something I'm supposed to do while driving. Tens of dollars' worth of new roads have been built since President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi came to power more than 10 years ago. Since 2019, the number of billboards has also increased dramatically, from 2,500 to 6,300. Revenue from what's called out-of-home advertising, including billboards and transit ads, doubled last year to $130 million, according to Assem Memmon at AdMezad Agency. These road billboards are part of the sources of income that cover the cost of maintaining these roads, because this is the revenue. After we build a road, the road has no revenue because it is an asset by nature. So, how can the managing authority provide fees or sources of income for its maintenance, whether from the toll stations or from the ad revenues? While some drivers find the billboards an amusing diversion, the ads are also negatively impacting how people experience the city, including Urban Development Program Associate at UN Habitat, Salman Asa. In a way, it gives some identity and label to the city in a certain way, but I think it's not human-centric at all. That is starting to be recognised. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli said on Wednesday in a meeting on standards for billboards and other ads, there should be more regulation to ensure they better uphold aesthetic values. For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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Washington

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Glendale

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Lisbon

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Nashua

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Phoenix

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

Middle East Conflict

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Britain, Canada and Australia all recognize Palestinian state

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New York

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London

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Manhattan

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Melbourne

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Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Russia launches mass strikes across Ukraine

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Heathrow Airport

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Tallinn

Russian jets enter Estonia's airspace in latest test for NATO

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Moscow

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Tehran

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Caracas

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Chicago

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Sacramento

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Breakdown