Africa’s Largest Observation Wheel
Africa’s Largest Observation Wheel Will Make Its Debut in Egypt Next Year — and It Promises Views of the Famed Pyramids .
Riders will soar 400 feet above the city’s Zamalek neighborhood while enjoying views of downtown Cairo, the pyramids, Sphinx, and beyond.
Egypt is aiming to put its capital city back on the tourism map with the new Cairo Eye, the largest observation wheel in Africa and the fifth-largest in the world.
Cairo Eye riders will climb nearly 400 feet above Zamalek, a posh district on Gezira Island, just a bridge away from downtown Cairo.
Like the world’s four tallest observation wheels — found in London, Dubai, Las Vegas, and Singapore — Cairo’s wheel promises bird’s-eye views for up to 31 miles on clear days.
That puts the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Sphinx (under 15 miles away) well within sight.
The over $31 million project includes 48 cabins that can hold up to eight individuals. But it’s more than a standalone wheel; it’s a full-on entertainment hub.
On-site restaurants, a boat dock, an events hall, and cafes will elevate the Cairo Eye experience. Egypt’s tourism leaders anticipate the wheel will attract up to two and a half million visitors annually.
“Cairo Eye will play a strategic role in sustainable tourism development, in line with Egypt’s vision 2030,” Monarch Vacations CEO & President Mohamed El Refaie said at a press conference, according to Egypt Today. “The project complements the efforts underway to reshape and upgrade the capital, including Ahl Misr Walkway project, which is currently being constructed on the Nile Corniche in Cairo, as well as other development projects.”
This investment is a big deal for the capital city. In recent years, the adjacent city of Giza, home to the Sphinx and pyramids, has received the lion’s share of tourism projects.
From Giza’s long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum to the new pyramids visitor center and the recently opened Sphinx International Airport, it’s obvious Egypt is betting big on Giza tourism.
But as Mohamed El Refaie confirmed in the press conference, Egypt is setting its sights on Cairo tourism — and the Cairo Eye and soon-to-open Ahl Misr Walkway, a three-mile path along the Nile River, just north of Zamalek, are proof of that. The walkway, which will be integrated with the Cairo Eye, boasts everything from theaters and restaurants to over 50 shops with Nile River views. It’s over 90% complete.