Heba and the other edgeryders form Egypt: amazing initiative!! 
I’d love to see an Egyptian Reef / OpenVillage house come up, and am really curious what identity and sustainability plan (“business model”) it will get. Let us know how the Edgeryders company and community can assist!
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Second Matthias. I am super-interested in following up with you guys and comparing notes. But would you personally, @Heba and @m_tantawy, move on into an Open Village-style dwelling?
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yeaa sure , from what i heard from @hazem the open village style can be copied in many spots. actually i liked your documentation about How The Reef might work in Brussels and i think we would need something solid like this to start the Egyptian Reef
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why wouldn’t I? … It sounds like a good company and a constant inspiration and learning experience since you don’t know what the community would bring tomorrow … It also depends on the practical arrangement … since I imagine I wouldn’t have a 9 to 5 job but still need to earn money out of whatever I do and that needs to plan your residency based on your work
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Well, The Reef is an arrangement to spend less, not to earn more. Here in Brussels we can live better for less money, because we share the space with each other and with a small company (Edgeryders itself). Yes, we still need to earn a living. We find it may be a little easier with the right kind of mix in the house.
Are you going to be in Brussels next month? I really want to do a spreadsheet session to work out the sustainability model of Reef-type arrangements in different cities, neighbourhoods, sizes…
@heba do you know how we can use the space, who should we talk to ? to get access to the space any agreement to make to use with low rent and offer some public facilities and revitalize this
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I don’t have practical information at the moment ya @hazem hard to get from here… But i will ask if someone in Hurghada can investigate that
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Hi @Heba so if you have a 9 to 5 job or wish to hold on to a stable income I can see that the simplest step could be to try co living with others: paying rent (is that something you do anyway nowadays?) but living with not just anyone, but like minded people with whom you can use the free time to work together on stuff you want to do anyway. In Brussels we also don’t do more hands on projects because me, Alberto, Nadia are all involved in edgeryders consultancy - which is online and already sustainable - able to cover for us partially, as Alberto mentioned. So we didn’t join to work on a set of smaller projects.
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@Heba I am wondering if you considered Dahab in Sinai at all. Many of my friends in Cairo who have startups are interested in moving there, and having visited that place a couple of times I found it to be incredibly charming and inspiring.
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I know about this exodus to Dahab … Unfortunately I haven’t been there but I got many positive reviews from my friends … and yes it might be interesting to have a socially responsible movement starting there… I feel like the current movement is going towards privatization and gentrification
Very nice, but why haven’t you considered areas such as October and Sheikh Zayed?
1- There are 6 private and one governmental (Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University), in the area.
2- It’s central between Cairo (~30 min) , Alexandria (2 hr), Fayoum (1hr) , Bahareya (4hr) Guiza is a large governorate!
3- Population’s density is low compared to other cites, areas, districts in Egypt
4- There are also communities of refugees, for those who work with refugees.
5- We can rent a town house or villa or two apt with a garden, and cultivate leaf vegetables, potato, tomato among other. Plants give hope 
6- Services are available, hospital, supermarket,
etc
This is based on my understanding that the Reef is an urban space.
good idea @amiridina actually new cities in Egypt make a good start … it’s relatively easy to get properties there … however the other new cities are even cheaper … we have 40 new cities most of them are abandoned except the ones around Cairo (that includes Zayed and October cities) because of the centralization model and the upscale Real-estate business
the question is should we take advantage of the perks of the centralized services around cairo or should we go out and create our own model that adds a value to another place?
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Dahab in Sinai 
check this Islam , I think we need more examples out side Cairo right now for similar initiatives , right @Heba?
I think relative to many examples outside Cairo Dahab \ Newibaa still economy friendly examples until now ,the problem with sini more ( political \ institutional ) also ( the tunnel + little bit far form Cairo + Alex too )
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generally I am with the idea of getting outside Cairo. but the problem with Sinai is it is not stable politically and the situation is escalating rapidly. Plus having the Tunnel as a main access, I usually cancel the idea because of the road ( checkpoints + tunnel) but on the other hand Dahab is surviving somehow. ( till now Dahab is working but I am not sure what will happen in the coming year or two )
I think realistically Fayoum, hurghada, could work…or even Menia, aswan ( i have no idea if this is possible in upper Egypt or not )
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You were sadly prophetic about Sinai, my friend… 
Dahab is a real cool place!
Living in Dahab at present. It’s great. Lot of potential. Permaculture community emerging here. Lots of DIY facilities. Presents a good opportunity - local challenges, but good seed culture and quality of lfe.
Drop me a line if anyone heading over.
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