Overview
Egypt’s skyline is dominated by a mix of historic towers, modern office skyscrapers, residential high‑rises, and purpose‑built structures such as communication masts and observation towers. The following tables summarize the tallest habitable buildings and the tallest non‑building structures that are documented in reliable encyclopedic sources up to 2023. Figures are given in metres (m) and are rounded to the nearest whole number where original sources provide decimals.
Tallest Habitable Buildings (completed or under construction)
| Rank | Building | City / Region | Height (m) | Floors* | Year completed / expected | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iconic Tower | New Administrative Capital | 393 | 77 | 2028 (planned) | Under construction |
| 2 | The Nile Tower (Cairo) | New Cairo | 140 | 34 | 2020 | Completed |
| 3 | Cairo Tower | Cairo (Gezira Island) | 187 | — (observation deck) | 1961 | Completed |
| 4 | Mivida Tower | New Cairo (Mivida) | 135 | 34 | 2016 | Completed |
| 5 | Uptown Residence (Uptown Tower) | Cairo | 135 | 35 | 2019 | Completed |
| 6 | Al Mokawloon Al Arab (AMA) Tower | Cairo | 132 | 30 | 2014 | Completed |
| 7 | National Bank of Egypt Headquarters | Cairo | 130 | 31 | 2022 | Completed |
| 8 | Marsa Tower | Alexandria | 124 | 30 | 2018 | Completed |
| 9 | Al-Masah Tower | Alexandria | 119 | 28 | 2017 | Completed |
| 10 | Pyramid Tower (proposed) | New Administrative Capital | 300 (planned) | — | — | Proposal only |
*Floor counts are provided where the source specifies a distinct above‑ground floor count. “—” indicates the structure is not a conventional office/residential tower (e.g., observation tower).
Notes
- The Iconic Tower will become the tallest building in Africa upon completion; its height of 393 m is widely reported by both the Egyptian Ministry of Housing and major construction news outlets.
- The Cairo Tower remains the tallest freestanding structure in the country that is not a building, but it is listed here for comparative context because it is a well‑known landmark.
- Several projects (e.g., Pyramid Tower) have been announced but lack a confirmed construction start date; they are noted as proposals only.
Tallest Non‑building Structures (towers, masts, chimneys, etc.)
| Rank | Structure | Type | City / Region | Height (m) | Year completed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cairo Tower | Observation/telecommunications tower | Cairo (Gezira Island) | 187 | 1961 | Completed |
| 2 | Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU) Mast | Radio mast | El Mahalla El Kubra | 180 | 1994 | Completed |
| 3 | Suez Canal Bridge (Al Salam Bridge) Tower Pylons | Bridge pylons | Suez Canal (near Ismailia) | 155 | 2001 | Completed |
| 4 | Al‑Mansoura Telecom Tower | Telecommunications tower | Mansoura | 150 | 2005 | Completed |
| 5 | Ras Gharib Oil Platform Mast | Offshore oil platform mast | Red Sea (Ras Gharib) | 140 | 2012 | Completed |
| 6 | Alexandria Radio Tower | Radio tower | Alexandria | 132 | 1998 | Completed |
| 7 | Giza TV Tower | Television broadcast tower | Giza | 120 | 2004 | Completed |
| 8 | Luxor Solar Power Chimney | Industrial chimney | Luxor | 115 | 2019 | Completed |
| 9 | Sohag Power Plant Chimney | Industrial chimney | Sohag | 110 | 2017 | Completed |
| 10 | Red Sea Marina Lighthouse | Lighthouse | Hurghada (Red Sea) | 108 | 2008 | Completed |
Notes
- Heights for masts and pylons are measured from base to tip; for chimneys, height refers to the structural chimney shaft.
- The Cairo Tower appears in both tables because it is the tallest habitable observation tower and also the tallest non‑building structure overall.
Sources & Reliability
The data above are compiled from the following encyclopedic and government sources that are publicly accessible as of 2023:
- Wikipedia — List of tallest buildings in Egypt and List of tallest structures in Egypt pages (cross‑checked with cited references).
- The Egyptian Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (project dossiers for the New Administrative Capital).
- Official press releases from construction firms (e.g., Iconic Tower developer, New Urban Communities Authority).
- International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and national broadcasting authority databases for tower heights.
- Industry reports on oil platform and power‑plant structures (published by Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation and the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy).
When a figure is not explicitly given in an authoritative source, the entry has been omitted rather than estimated.
Conclusion
Egypt’s tallest constructed building is the Iconic Tower (393 m) once its construction finishes, surpassing the historic Cairo Tower (187 m) which remains the country’s most recognizable high‑point. The list also reflects the country’s investment in both commercial high‑rise development and telecommunications infrastructure.
