Cairo Electric Railways & Heliopolis Oases Company

Formed in Cairo in 1906, with Capital of F15,000,000 (in 1907 raised to F30,000,000 and in 1920 to F52,625,000) in shares of F250. There were also 60,000 Actions de Dividende of no par value, and an issue of Obligations to a value of F3,750,000.

The company is included under railways on account of its name, but was primarily a property development company. The company acquired a very large area (25 square kilometers) north-east of Cairo, where the ancient city of Heliopolis existed, and where the international airport is today. It built, in effect, a new city – called the Heliopolis Oasis – and rail and tramway links to the centre of Cairo. Not only did the company build a great number of houses and apartments, but also a hotel (The Heliopolis Palace Hotel), restaurants, shops, churches, mosque, hospital, etc. On completion the hotel was floated off as a separate company.