A dive into the eyesore that is roadside advertising: Reuters is out with a piece looking into the increasing number of large billboards on Cairo’s roads — now standing at around 6.3k or as Reuters put it over 30 per sqm. “There's nowhere left on the street that doesn't have ads,” one citizen is quoted as saying.

The bigger picture: Nationwide, the number of billboards increased 26.6% y-o-y to 40.9k in 2024, according to data from outdoor ad aggregator AdMazad.

The advertising sector has become an important source of state revenue, with revenues from the sector mostly going to the state treasury, a source at the Transport Ministry’s MOT Investment and Development told the newswire. Outdoor advertising revenues grew by more than 50% y-o-y in 2024 to record EGP 6.3 bn.

The state is taking action: Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly last week took part in a meetingcentered around updating the regulation governing roadside advertising. During the meeting, Housing Minister Sherif El Sherbiny noted that upcoming regulations aim to maximize the state’s returns from renting out ad space and ensure these ads adhere to aesthetic standards.