Dreamland (Egypt)
Encyclopedia
Dreamland is a private urban development located approximately 17 km west of Egypt’s capital city, Cairo
. It covers an approximate area of 2000 acres and is situated only a few kilometers west to the Pyramids of Giza (Ghannam, 2008). It is located in the newly constructed 6 October City which is surrounded mostly by desert and arid plains, linked to the main city by a ring road and the 26 July Freeway. The development provides many recreational and commercial facilities and is home to a variety of shopping complexes, sport and entertainment facilities, business hubs, luxury resorts, prime real estate and theme parks. Dreamland is aimed at a specific demographic and mainly attracts wealthy locals, expatriates and international visitors. The construction of Dreamland began in 1995 and was inspired by contemporary western urbanism and in particular the private developments in the United States of America around the mid-twentieth century. The project was fueled by neo-liberal capitalism and mass consumerism and upon completion, it was estimated to cost more than US$200 million. The development was instigated by the Bahgat Group
and masterminded by its Chairman, an influential Egyptian entrepreneur, Ahmed Bahgat.
, a new movement in urban planning and development which became prevalent in Cairo from the 1960s onward. The gated community was one where residential real-estate was tightly controlled through guarded entrances bordered by fences or walls, shared common amenities such as tennis courts and pools and the provision of security to protect its residents (Low, 2001). These neighbourhoods were generally built and designed for particular demographics and they often garnished the reputation for being exclusive communities who were controlled and regulated by private corporations. In his article, Dreamland: The Neo-liberalism of Your Desires, Mitchell argues that developments which boast these levels of exclusivity and purpose such as Dreamland are undisciplined and irresponsible planning practices and that their exclusive nature caters only for the ‘super-rich’ minorities (1999). In Egypt, these private developments are only financially accessible to less than 5% of the total population (Mitchell, 1998).
Private developments in Egypt in the mid to late twentieth century tended to be inspired by European influences and American consumerism (Elsheshtawy, 2004). Around Cairo there are many local examples of similar luxury developments such as Hyde Park, located in New Cairo
which boasts prestigious Italian-style villas, and Rivoli which is modeled around elegant Parisian architecture. The late twentieth century saw Egyptians gradually becoming saturated with dominant symbols of American wealth and success and this facilitated a shift toward the promotion of a certain lifestyle in which Egyptians saw as encapsulating wealth and prosperity (Adham, 2004). This gave rise in the Middle East, and particularly Egypt, to many developments based on the perceived Western lifestyle model of success. Mega-scale shopping malls, theme parks, fast food chains and luxury resorts began to invade the desert landscape as Egypt welcomed a new period of change in urban development.
in California, was in charge of designing the Dreampark, the theme park within the Dreamland complex. Both of these companies boasted extensive experience with developments in the Middle East and the strategic choice of outsourcing the design and development of the master plan to two foreign North American companies, ensured that the project would be infused with Western influences and models.
The unstable economic times of the late twentieth century in Egypt lead to the liberalization of the market which resulted in many laws and government policies being overturned from the socialist reign (Adham, 2004). This affected public and private developments significantly and allowed more flexibility and accessibility for land to be purchased by private developers. In an attempt to ease housing inequalities, raise capital and prevent urban sprawl
, the Egyptian government sold vast pockets of land to private developers, however this eventuated in the widening of the housing equality gap leading to increased populations of displaced low-income earners being dominated by the much smaller minority of higher income, wealthy locals.
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. It covers an approximate area of 2000 acres and is situated only a few kilometers west to the Pyramids of Giza (Ghannam, 2008). It is located in the newly constructed 6 October City which is surrounded mostly by desert and arid plains, linked to the main city by a ring road and the 26 July Freeway. The development provides many recreational and commercial facilities and is home to a variety of shopping complexes, sport and entertainment facilities, business hubs, luxury resorts, prime real estate and theme parks. Dreamland is aimed at a specific demographic and mainly attracts wealthy locals, expatriates and international visitors. The construction of Dreamland began in 1995 and was inspired by contemporary western urbanism and in particular the private developments in the United States of America around the mid-twentieth century. The project was fueled by neo-liberal capitalism and mass consumerism and upon completion, it was estimated to cost more than US$200 million. The development was instigated by the Bahgat Group
Bahgat Group
Bahgat Group is a group of companies in Egypt that manufacture electronics, household appliances, furniture, and medical equipment. It is also involved in entertainment and real estate development...
and masterminded by its Chairman, an influential Egyptian entrepreneur, Ahmed Bahgat.
History
Dreamland was a Middle Eastern galvanization of the gated communityGated community
In its modern form, a gated community is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly-controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences. Gated communities usually consist of small residential...
, a new movement in urban planning and development which became prevalent in Cairo from the 1960s onward. The gated community was one where residential real-estate was tightly controlled through guarded entrances bordered by fences or walls, shared common amenities such as tennis courts and pools and the provision of security to protect its residents (Low, 2001). These neighbourhoods were generally built and designed for particular demographics and they often garnished the reputation for being exclusive communities who were controlled and regulated by private corporations. In his article, Dreamland: The Neo-liberalism of Your Desires, Mitchell argues that developments which boast these levels of exclusivity and purpose such as Dreamland are undisciplined and irresponsible planning practices and that their exclusive nature caters only for the ‘super-rich’ minorities (1999). In Egypt, these private developments are only financially accessible to less than 5% of the total population (Mitchell, 1998).
Private developments in Egypt in the mid to late twentieth century tended to be inspired by European influences and American consumerism (Elsheshtawy, 2004). Around Cairo there are many local examples of similar luxury developments such as Hyde Park, located in New Cairo
New Cairo
New Cairo is a new satellite city of Cairo. Located in what was formerly desert, the master plan was created in 2001 by a Boston firm. It is the home of the new campus of the American University in Cairo, as well as the German University in Cairo, the Future University in Egypt and the Canadian...
which boasts prestigious Italian-style villas, and Rivoli which is modeled around elegant Parisian architecture. The late twentieth century saw Egyptians gradually becoming saturated with dominant symbols of American wealth and success and this facilitated a shift toward the promotion of a certain lifestyle in which Egyptians saw as encapsulating wealth and prosperity (Adham, 2004). This gave rise in the Middle East, and particularly Egypt, to many developments based on the perceived Western lifestyle model of success. Mega-scale shopping malls, theme parks, fast food chains and luxury resorts began to invade the desert landscape as Egypt welcomed a new period of change in urban development.
The Developers
The Bahgat group, are a far reaching Middle Eastern corporation who play a highly influential role in the commercial economy of Egypt. Along with coordinating the construction of Dreamland, the company is well known for pioneering internet service provision and is the largest producer of televisions in the Middle East (Mitchell, 1999). The Bahgat Group contracted two North American companies to design and develop their project. The Development Design Group Inc. was responsible for creating the master plan, whilst the Toronto based company FORREC, who designed Universal StudiosUniversal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
in California, was in charge of designing the Dreampark, the theme park within the Dreamland complex. Both of these companies boasted extensive experience with developments in the Middle East and the strategic choice of outsourcing the design and development of the master plan to two foreign North American companies, ensured that the project would be infused with Western influences and models.
The unstable economic times of the late twentieth century in Egypt lead to the liberalization of the market which resulted in many laws and government policies being overturned from the socialist reign (Adham, 2004). This affected public and private developments significantly and allowed more flexibility and accessibility for land to be purchased by private developers. In an attempt to ease housing inequalities, raise capital and prevent urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
, the Egyptian government sold vast pockets of land to private developers, however this eventuated in the widening of the housing equality gap leading to increased populations of displaced low-income earners being dominated by the much smaller minority of higher income, wealthy locals.