Every country hoping to host the World Cup has been known to pour state funds into constructing star-studded stadiums.  In 2010, when Egypt vied for hosting the event, Damanhur Stadium in Beheira Governorate (north of Cairo) was envisaged to be one of the best in the world and planning for construction began in 2003. The government invested some 40 million Egyptian pounds into the project.

When Egypt’s bid was rejected, the government failed to provide the needed finances to complete the project. The successive governors ignored the stadium and have left it to collapse.

Every country hoping to host the World Cup has been known to pour state funds into constructing star-studded stadiums.  In 2010, when Egypt vied for hosting the event, Damanhur Stadium in Beheira Governorate (north of Cairo) was envisaged to be one of the best in the world and planning for construction began in 2003. The government invested some 40 million Egyptian pounds into the project.

When Egypt’s bid was rejected, the government failed to provide the needed finances to complete the project. The successive governors ignored the stadium and have left it to collapse.

“The dream vanished and the stadium’s debris is still there as an attest to poor planning,” said Mohamed Abdulhadi Sabah head of Legal Affairs in Behira Governorate’s Local Council at the time

Over before it began

Construction for the stadium began under Governor Ahmad Laythi before he became the Minister of Agriculture.  At the time, its cost was estimated to be 200 million Egyptian Pounds.

The contracted company finished part of the amphitheater, the infrastructure and the cement foundations for the squash court in addition to the swimming pool and the external fence. The cost was estimated by 90 million Egyptian Pounds, but 19 million was received, according to Sabah.

In May 2004, Egypt’s bid to host the tournament was rejected and South Africa received that honor. “This was a shock to all of the Egyptian people,” said Sabah, “especially to Behira’s residents, as all works were suspended and the government stopped providing the needed funds. It only paid 15 million Egyptian Pounds to the implementing company, making the total amount spent 40 million Egyptian Pounds.”

Attempt to solve the crisis

Haytham Tayseer, Secretary General of the opposition’s Rally Party and former member of the Governorate’s Local Council, stressed that Laythi tried at the time, in 2004, to overcome the shortage of the needed funds.

Laythi planned to destroy the old dilapidated stadium and use its land to build hundreds of shops to rent and sell and use the returns to finish the new stadium. Laythi however, was shocked to learn that his plan was illegal.

 “When the expropriated land is returned to its owners—according to expropriation law— they should repay all the amounts they took while the land was expropriated,” said Sabah.  “It implies huge losses for the state.”

The local council’s report issued at the time decided it would be illegal to use the old stadium’s land.

Stadium sank into oblivion

Standing in front of the stadium’s ruins, accountant Hamdi Fathi lamented the stadium’s current situation which witnessed seven successive governors—all of whom failed to bring an end to the situation.

The stadium has been subjected to rain for more than 10 years, which has eroded its foundations, leaving it dilapidated.   

Fathi blamed the successive governments for wasting Behira Governorate’s dream of having an international stadium which could host high-profile local and international matches especially during these hard times.

He stressed that finishing the stadium would end the crowding problem in Cairo during the major matches and improve the governorate’s level of sport, particularly since the youth cannot find appropriate places to play sports.

Although the stadium is distant from residential areas, close to the agricultural highway, it has become a haven for the homeless, drug users, stray animals and ravens, as there is no surveillance of the stadium.

Evading the crisis

In response to repeated demands of the governorate’s citizens and athletes to solve the stadium’s problem, and in light of the current difficult economic circumstances, Behira’s governor held a meeting on April 7 to discuss the crisis.   

Governor Mustafa Hadhood said the governorate is working to re-direct the governorate’s available resources.  Damanhur University would buy the land and the surrounding buildings by forming a committee to estimate their price.

They would use the returns to finish the university’s facilities and meet the governorate’s needs, including building a university hospital and faculties of medicine, engineering and sports, in addition to other professional projects useful to the citizens of the governorate.

Inappropriate solution

Tayseer believes the governor’s decision is not a good one, as it breaches the Local Affairs Law No. 49 of 1977, which gave the local councils rather than the governor or the executive councils, the exclusive right to manage the governorate’s possessions.

On the other hand, Taysee finds it odd the governor has no right to decide on the stadium’s land. Still, Taysee believed that taking such decisions, especially before the upcoming parliamentary and municipality elections, was suspicious.

He added that 40 million Egyptian Pounds were spent on these facilities 15 years ago, which amounts to 200 million Pounds (US $ 28,000,000) today. He explained that it was planned to build a state-of-the-art Olympic city with an Olympic swimming pool, but all of that was suspended due to disagreements between the local council and the Supreme Council of Youth and Sport over funding.

The People’s Current in the governorate rejected the governor’s decision and stressed in a statement that it would not remain silent or allow the stadium land to be sold to Damanhur University, dismissing the decision as “Irresponsible, uninformed and a glaring example of wasting public money.”

The statement also criticizes the local council’s “poor management” and planning, and calls the current situation reminiscent of the governments prior the January 25 Revolution, “which lacked a clear future vision and when unable to provide the needed financial resources, would resort to selling things at cheap prices.”

Will Sisi save the day?

 “We hope that President al-Sisi solves this dilemma. If he does, his name would be engraved in the hearts of Behira’s people,” Sabah said, lamenting the stadium’s last ten years under the rain.