Egyptian club Zamalek SC has announced plans to challenge a court decision rejecting its bid to reclaim a disputed plot of land in the October Gardens area, escalating a long-running legal dispute with state authorities.
The ruling, issued by the Fourth Circuit of the Administrative Court, dismissed an appeal filed by the club seeking the return of a 129-acre site that had been allocated for the construction of a new branch.
The land, located in Hadayek October, had previously been withdrawn by the authorities, prompting Zamalek to pursue legal action.
The case was brought under appeal number 5193 of the 80th judicial year by club president Hussein Labib, against the Minister of Housing and Urban Communities and the head of the October Gardens City Authority.
The appeal contested the decision to revoke the land allocation, arguing that the club retained rights to the site.
However, the court ruled against Zamalek’s claim, effectively upholding the withdrawal decision.
In response, the club’s management has confirmed it will escalate the matter to the Supreme Administrative Court.
A source within Zamalek told local media that the club is awaiting the detailed reasoning behind the court’s judgment before proceeding.
“An appeal will be filed with the Supreme Administrative Court within 60 days of the ruling rejecting Zamalek’s appeal,” the source said.
The official added that the legal team assigned to the case will carefully review the court’s findings before preparing the next stage of litigation. The appeal must be submitted within a two-month window, in accordance with legal procedures.
The disputed land had been earmarked for the development of a second Zamalek branch, intended to complement the club’s existing headquarters in the Mit Aqaba district.
Club officials had previously invested in parts of the project, reportedly generating more than 800 million Egyptian pounds through activities linked to the site.
Despite these efforts, the project faced longstanding challenges. According to the case file, the club did not undertake substantial construction work on the land for several years, beyond building a perimeter fence.
Authorities issued multiple warnings regarding the lack of progress before eventually moving to withdraw the allocation.
The referral to investigations also indicated that when construction did begin, it failed to meet the required completion thresholds within the stipulated timeframe.
Additionally, some of the activities carried out on the land were said to diverge from the original purpose for which it had been granted.
These factors contributed to the decision by the October Gardens City Authority to reclaim the land, a move that Zamalek has consistently contested through the courts.
The club’s leadership had reportedly hoped for a favourable ruling that would allow it to retain the site and proceed with its expansion plans.
With the latest judgment going against them, attention is now turning to the possibility of accepting an alternative plot offered by authorities, although no final decision has been made.
The case highlights ongoing tensions between sporting institutions and regulatory bodies over land use and development rights.
As Zamalek prepares its next legal step, the outcome of the appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court could prove decisive in determining the future of the project.
