Shopping in Cairo
Mall of Egypt
Mall of Egypt is situated in 6th of October City along the notorious El Wahat Road. The location is not particularly appealing to people in east Cairo but those who make the long drive will be rewarded with one of the most jaw-dropping malls not just in the country – but the whole region. The number and diversity of shops should satisfy everyone. Mall of Egypt boasts household names such as Zara, H&M, Marks & Spencer, LC Waikiki, and much more. You will find everything from high-end designer labels to pocket friendly budget stores. In terms of size, it’s big but not too big. It is one of those perfectly sized malls that could be covered in half a day. Our survey revealed the highest maintenance and cleanliness satisfaction levels among all malls in Egypt. The cleaning staff are more motivated and eager to keep the mall as pristine as possible. Security is another area where Mall of Egypt outperformed other malls. The emergency response teams are well-trained and always ready to help visitors. The food scene is superb too. Mall of Egypt is filled with fast food chains, local eateries, high end restaurants and plenty of cafes. Other standout features include Egypt’s first indoor snow park, a 21-screen cinema complex with 4DX, our favorite full-sized Carrefour in Egypt, and the best disability access out of all the malls in Egypt.
Cairo Festival City Mall
Cairo Festival City or CFC for short lies in the Fifth Settlement of New Cairo in the east of Cairo. CFC performed particularly well in the maintenance and cleanliness criteria. The mall is spotless – even when it is packed on the weekends. It is a big mall with a huge range of shops including Debenhams, H&M, Marks & Spencer, Victoria’s Secret, and Zara. The mall hosts a massive Carrefour branch that should accommodate all of your groceries shopping. The food scene is buzzing with a huge food court, and plenty of restaurants and cafes with outdoor seating. Security is taken seriously. The trained staff follow strict protocol in emergency situations. CFC’s unique feature is being home to the first IKEA store in Egypt.
Mall of Arabia
Mall of Arabia is a huge mall in 6th of October City situated along the 26th of July Corridor (El Mehwar). Its location makes it a little more difficult for people visiting from the east Cairo but if you want to shop til you drop, this is the place to be. Mall of Arabia is Egypt’s biggest mall and boasts a ridiculous number of shops. The mall caters to everyone’s needs and features some of the world’s biggest brands including Zara, Virgin, Timberland, GAP, Centrepoint, Mango, and much more. There’s a Spinney’s hypermarket, a cinema multiplex, and a huge number of cafes and restaurants. In fact, the food scene is awesome thanks to the overwhelmingly massive food court, and a selection of crowd-pleasers such as Qahwa, Chili’s, and Paul. The mall has maintained an excellent level of cleanliness and performed superbly in the security criteria with highly trained staff ready to act in case of emergencies.
Citystars
When Citystars first opened, Egyptians were blown away by the overall quality of the mall, and the variety of shops and restaurants on offer. Managing to maintain this quality and diversity of shops for all these years is why Citystars is on this list. Unfortunately, this is one of the more confusing malls in Cairo to navigate but it’s still a great place for families, couples and friends to eat out or go shopping. There’s a lot of brands, including Victoria’s Secret, Hugo Boss, Swarovski, Cartier, H&M, Marks & Spencer, and Mango. Overall, cleanliness is good but the bathrooms were not up to par during the weekend evenings when the mall is at its busiest. However, one area we cannot fault is security. The staff are well trained and know exactly what to do in case of emergencies.
City Centre Almaza
Not far from Citystars is City Centre Almaza making this an accessible mall for people in Heliopolis, Nasr City, Sheraton, and New Cairo. The variety of shops are superb. The mall includes the likes of Bershka, Pull & Bear, Zara, MINISO, Tradeline, and much more. In fact, you will find many of the same shops open at Mall of Egypt since they are both Majid Al Futtaim properties. Which means Mall of Egypt’s high standards are reflected at City Centre Almaza. Cleanliness levels are absolutely top notch. Security is first class. And the dining experience is excellent. Restaurants include Desoky & Soda, Mince, Mori Sushi and Crave.
City Centre Maadi
City Centre Maadi, as you guessed from the name is the sister mall of City Centre Almaza. Which also makes this somewhat of the baby sister to Mall of Egypt. The Majid Al Futtaim standards are on full display here with the superb cleanliness and ridiculously high security levels. There is a great variety of shops that cater to everyone including Zara, CompuMe, Monsoon, H&M, Timberland, The Body Shop, Mazaya, Adidas, Nike, and much more. The dining scene features Cinnabon, Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, Arby’s, McDonald’s, KFC, and Pizza Hut among others. City Centre Maadi covers your grocery needs with a big and beautiful Carrefour hypermarket, whereas kids can enjoy Magic Planet – a fun little indoor family entertainment center.
Galleria40
Galleria40 is not the biggest or busiest of the malls in Cairo but definitely the most charming. Technically speaking, this is not a mall as much as it is a mixed use development due to the presence of offices on the upper floors. Remove the offices from the equation and we would classify this as a mall. There is an air of luxury about Galleria40 but it’s not trying to push that agenda as much as The First Mall. The great thing about Galleria40 is the perfect balance of shops, cafes and restaurants. Galleria40’s design is absolutely stunning. The contrast between the glass windows turns the building into a grand piano that magically reflects the sunlight. This is by no means a big mall but it is cozy, safe, and remarkably maintained. Galleria40 is spotless! There is a small selection of eateries but the highlight is Dara’s Ice Cream which attracts swarms of people from all over the capital. Galleria40 is not a shopper’s paradise, it does not offer many dining choices, and it does not have much for kids to do. But if you are in Sheikh Zayed City and want to sip on a Starbucks coffee while being surrounded with the classiest crowd in Cairo, Galleria40 is the place to be.
Point90 Mall
Just opposite AUC in New Cairo’s Fifth Settlement is Point90 Mall. Its location makes it quite difficult for people to visit from outside New Cairo, especially those living in the west of Cairo. Interestingly, when New Cairo residents do not need something in particular from Cairo Festival City, they prefer Point90 Mall. The reason being Cairo Festival City draws crowds from all over the city and it can get extremely busy. Point90 is smaller and more intimate, making it an ideal mall for a short visit. A quick coffee break for students, a lunch spot for AUC professors, or a cheeky shopping spree at H&M. Come the weekend, however, Point90 comes alive with families, shoppers, diners, and movie-goers. In fact, movie-goers will love the huge cinema complex. Kids can enjoy the indoor skating rink, Billy Beez play area or Airzone with its numerous trampolines. For groceries, Point90 Mall features one of the biggest branches of Fresh Food Market. Our favorite thing about Point90 Mall is the huge ceiling which floods the mall’s interior with natural light.
Dandy Mega Mall
Once upon a time, Dandy Mall was the go-to destination for shopping along with Citystars. But whilst Citystars is able to withstand the test of time, Dandy Mall hasn’t been able to replicate it’s counterpart’s success. Still, it has enough going for it to proudly claim a spot on our top 10 list of malls in Cairo. Apart from a very popular branch of H&M, Dandy Mega Mall is also home to Marks & Spencer, Tommy Hilfiger, Aldo, Nike, Levi’s, Timberland, MINISO, Mothercare, and much more. There are so many restaurants and cafes to choose from including Starbucks, Chili’s, McDonald’s, Mori Sushi, Pizza Hut, KFC, Hardee’s, Papa John’s, and Cinnabon. However, the mall is in much need of a refresh to both the interior and exterior. It is looking dated and does not have the appeal of more modern large malls like Mall of Egypt and CFC Mall. But there is still something for everyone at Dandy Mega Mall. The kids can enjoy the multiple play areas and indoor theme park. The number of shops rivals any big mall in Egypt, and the food scene is great.
The First Mall
Chic. Fancy. Luxury. Those are a few words to describe what The First Mall is all about. Here you’ll find a number of the finest watch and jewelry stores in Cairo, including Tiffany & Co, Rolex, Omega, Bvlgari, Mont Blanc, and Egypt’s very own Azza Fahmy. Located at Giza’s Four Seasons Hotel, the First Mall is also home to a number of fashion brands such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Paul & Shark, EGO and Emporio Armani. While cleanliness is good, we feel that the overall maintenance of the mall has been going downhill for a number of years. It is starting to feel dated and in much need of a refresh.