Egypt
Cairo
UMR Index Rank
#61
(=)
Score: 33%
Sustainable Mobility
#59
(+3)
Score: 34.9%
Public Transit
#50
(+3)
Score: 42.9%
Technology Adoption
#61
Score: 14.5%
| Population | 22.7 million |
| Surface area (km2) | 2,010 |
| Population-density (people/km2) | 11,269 |
| GDP per capita ($) | 8,167 |
UMR Index Rank
#61
(=)
Score: 33%
Sustainable Mobility
#59
(+3)
Score: 34.9%
Public Transit
#50
(+3)
Score: 42.9%
Technology Adoption
#61
Score: 14.5%
What Cairo Does Well In Urban Mobility
Cairo’s public transport system has a high utilization rate, a variety of modes, and long operating hours. It includes buses, trams, rail, metro, and ferries. The city also is constructing a two-line regional monorail that, at 96 kilometers (60 miles), is expected to be the longest automated monorail in the world, with capacity for 45,000 passengers an hour in each direction.
As a percentage of its GDP, Cairo invests more in infrastructure than many other cities close to its rank in the index. The city is investing in maintaining and improving its mobility infrastructure. For example, Cairo received funding via a partial debt guarantee from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in 2023 to help finance the rehabilitation of two metro lines. The city also employs more people in its mobility sector compared with other cities.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index, Sustainable Mobility, Public Transit, and Technology Adoption scores
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum and University of California, Berkeley
Challenges And Opportunities For Cairo’s Transportation System
Like other cities in the region, Cairo lacks adequate infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists. Still, some historic streets in Old Cairo are limited to pedestrian travel only. The city also has a bike-share program in its downtown area, which launched in 2022 with 250 bikes across 26 stations. The government plans to increase the program to 500 bikes and 45 stations in the future.
Cairo’s infrastructure for moving goods into and around the city is subpar compared with index peers. The city does have a major airport and seaport, and is investing in transport corridors to neighboring cities, such as Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast and Aswan up the Nile. The World Bank is financing a E£19.6 billion ($400 million) railway between the west of Cairo and Alexandria, which will have a capacity for 15 container trains daily by 2030, increasing to 50 by 2060.
Dimensions of the Urban Mobility Readiness Index score
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum and University of California, Berkeley
How Cairo Can Improve Its Urban Mobility Performance
While Cairo has high public transit utilization, some residents must travel long distances to get to the nearest transit stop. Cairo can invest in more bus routes and stops — a cost-effective way to increase transit station density. It also can dedicate more budget to maintaining and constructing pedestrian walkways and cycle lanes, including ones to and from public transit stations. Constructing walkways and cycle lanes with safety features like traffic buffers and building cyclist and pedestrian bridges can further improve safety and the quality of infrastructure.
To improve its supply chain, Cairo can maintain and upgrade transportation routes that facilitate the movement of goods, especially those in the city. It can facilitate implementation of warehousing centers in peripheries and dispatching nodes in the city center to better connect local and national supply chain networks and strengthen the urban supply grid. Facilitation may take the form of incentives for businesses that invest in local infrastructure and services or publicprivate partnerships.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index relative ranking evolution (2020-2024)
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum and University of California, Berkeley