CAIRO — The residents and companies of Egypt's North Sinai governorate are running into difficulty as they seek to legalize their ownership of land acquired through the practice of "wad al-yad," or the possession of land without official documentation of ownership. The Egyptian government is certifying some residents' requests for documentation of ownership while denying others'. This selective legalization indicates government corruption, according to some experts, while other experts say that the state's discrimination is perfectly legal.
While illegal in Egypt, the practice of wad al-yad is still widespread in North Sinai, with more than 40,000 pieces of land inherited through the practice, according to a source in the General Directorate of the North Sinai governorate.
Requests for legal recognition of ownership must be submitted to the General Directorate of the North Sinai governorate by Jan. 8, 2019. All landowners failing to meet this deadline will be considered in violation of the law and illegally occupying state land. The state is then free to remove them from the land. This government policy will impact the 420,000 people living and working in North Sinai.
The wad al-yad system doesn't mean people stole or seized the land. The plots of land in question were either acquired by sale or passed on from generation to generation via inheritance, with no official title, deeds or other legal documents proving ownership. Most lands in Sinai and the border regions, such as Halayeb and Shalateen, Nubia or Marsa Matruh, were passed on through wad al-yad over the course of hundreds of years. This was the case throughout Egypt until 1805, when the Muhammad Ali Pasha dynasty started documenting land ownership — except in those border and marginalized areas. Even under Presidents Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak, the state never documented land ownership in Sinai. Many believe this was because the state doubted Sinai residents' patriotism and feared they would sell the lands to investors from hostile countries such as Israel.
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.
