Cairo, Egypt – Egypt is set to bid for the 2036 and 2040 Summer Olympics, leveraging the country’s improving infrastructure and sports facilities to support a successful bid, announced the head of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) on Sunday.
Africa has never hosted an Olympic Games, and Cairo’s last attempt, an unsuccessful bid for the 2008 Olympics, did not break that streak. However, Egypt has since invested billions of dollars in upgrading its infrastructure, building new facilities, and modernizing sports complexes across the nation, with the goal of making a successful Olympic bid.
One of the country’s most ambitious projects is the Egypt International Olympic City, located in the new administrative capital currently under construction just east of Cairo.
Once completed, the complex is expected to feature a 93,000-capacity national stadium along with 21 other sports facilities, positioning Egypt as a strong contender for future Olympic Games.
Mustapha Berraf, the head of ANOCA, confirmed Egypt’s intention to bid for both the 2036 and 2040 Olympics during a press conference held on the day of the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics.
Berraf, who is also an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, expressed confidence in Egypt’s ability to host the Games, stating, “Egypt has the chance of organizing the Games. It will most likely organize the Games in 2040.”
However, Berraf noted that the country still needs to address certain infrastructure issues, such as roads and airports, to fully realize its potential as an Olympic host. “We have to look at infrastructure issues such as roads, airports. Egypt has great infrastructure potential,” he said.
While Egypt is focused on its future bids, the 2028 Summer Games have already been awarded to Los Angeles, with Brisbane, Australia, set to host in 2032.
Several other countries, including India, Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, have also expressed interest in bidding for the 2036 Olympics. IOC President Thomas Bach has acknowledged the growing competition, saying that the number of interested parties is steadily rising.
