Egypt to allow photos in public areas, with some restrictions
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Following complaints by both residents and tourists, the cabinet announced that people can now take photos in public spaces, as long as the photos are not for children and for commercial use.
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A woman takes a selfie at Egypt's first modern walkway overlooking the Nile in Cairo, Egypt. (EPA)
Residents and visitors are now allowed to take photos of Egypt's streets after the Ministry of Tourism announced Wednesday that amateur photography in public spaces is now permitted.
Social media influencers and foreign vloggers have recently pointed out to Egyptian authorities' practice of banning people from taking pictures and videos and confiscating their cameras, even in tourist places.
Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced in a statement on Wednesday that the country's cabinet has "approved new regulations governing photography, for personal use" by both Egyptian tourists and locals.
"Taking photographs using all kinds of traditional cameras, digital cameras and video cameras will be permitted free of charge. No permit needs to be obtained beforehand," the statement said.
Locals and tourists have both complained that authorities have asked for permits to allow them to take photos in public areas; at times, they seized cameras and banned shooting even if they had the requested permit.
The statement added that taking photos of children and for commercial use will remain restricted, noting that "it is completely forbidden to take or share photographs of scenes that can, in one way or another, damage the country's image."
The change in Egypt's strict photography rules might bode well for the country's tourism sector, which generates more than 10% of GDP and provides jobs for some two million people in the African nation that has been striving for years to revive the vital sector.
