Could Egypt Become Africa’s First Summer Olympics Host?

As we look into the future, with the next Summer Olympics confirmed to be hosted in Los Angeles in 2028 and the one after that in Brisbane, Australia in 2032, the bidding for the 2036 games is still in process. Is it time for the global championship to take place in Africa, the only inhabited continent that has never hosted the games?

African nations certainly deserve the chance to pay tribute to their own rich histories. In 2026, Senegal will become the continent’s first Olympic host with the Youth Olympic Games. South Africa has come closest to hosting the much larger Summer Games, but Cape Town was eliminated in favor of Athens in the penultimate round of voting for the 2004 games.

Egypt has unsuccessfully bid three times: Alexandria missed out to Berlin for both the 1916 event (which was ultimately canceled) and the 1936 edition, and Cairo failed to make the IOC's shortlist for the 2008 hosts. Having drastically expanded its infrastructure over the past years, the North African country hosted the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and the Cop27 climate summit in 2022.

In preparation for their next Olympic bid, the Egyptians, since 2018, have been building the Egypt International Olympic City, a multi-million dollar sports complex located 45 kilometers (about 28 miles) east of Cairo. It comprises a 93,000-capacity soccer stadium, Olympic-grade swimming pools, a three-kilometer track, and a full range of facilities catering to various sports.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MyEgypt (@myegypt)

Egypt’s ancient history and Nilotic wonders easily give way to romanticizing an Olympic summer dream set in between deserts and seas. Apart from changing the narrative that African nations cannot host events like the rest of the world, staging the Summer Olympics would put Egypt’s Mediterranean and Red Sea beaches, lively cities, and dreamlike oases on the map; it would be a great opportunity for the tourism industry, which is vital to the country’s economy.

What controversies, then, may arise should Egypt be given the chance to showcase its beauty and capabilities? And are the losses worth the wins?

The main concern will be the alarming human rights conditions. During major tournaments, nations attempt to create a perfect, unrealistic image of themselves. In Paris, this was done, amongst other things, at the cost of unhoused people who were expelled from the city, and immigrants who were kicked out of their neighborhood. Considering Egypt’s terrible track record of forced arrests and mass return of Sudanese refugees, similar scenes can be expected.

South African sports scientist Kamilla Swartargues that the games could be an opportunity to effect positive change and improve human rights. However, during Cop27, climate activists and civil society were subjected to intimidation and harassment despite concerns voiced by UN officials.

Furthermore, Egypt’s economic situation has been deteriorating drastically, thinning out the middle class and pushing the working class into poverty. Is the investment into a multi-million dollar event justified when the money is desperately needed elsewhere? Especially because the games will not be hosted in Cairo, but in the New Administrative Capital, a walled-off smart city that is inaccessible to the average citizen.

Egypt’s economy is being boosted by international funding. In March, the International Monetary Fund said it would increase its current loan program for Egypt from $3 billion to $8 billion, contingent on economic reforms, including a “new framework to slow down infrastructure spending,” to help reduce inflation and preserve debt sustainability.

Construction of the New Administrative Capital remains unaffected by this as millions are poured into an international business complex while many Egyptians are struggling to afford eggs, milk and cheese.

Rashad Abdo, head of the Egyptian Centre for Economic Studies, argues that hosting the Olympics “can provide numerous employment chances in different sectors. Additionally, it could contribute to more development of Egypt’s sports infrastructure and boost public interest in sports.”

More realistically, New York Times journalists Declan Walsh and Vivian Yeewrite that “poor and middle-class Egyptians are paying the price tag for [such] megaprojects through taxes, lower investment in social services and subsidy cuts.”

Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, visited the New Administrative Capital in 2022 and toured the 92-acre sports complex that will be named the Olympic City. According to a statement issued by the Egyptian cabinet, Bach "asserted that Egypt's sporting infrastructure gives it an opportunity to host the 2036 Olympic Games."

Egypt’s bid will be endorsed by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, as an Egyptian Summer Olympics would be a great win for the continent. But at what cost to the average Egyptian and African migrant?