Used Car Market in Egypt: A Flourishing Hub Amidst New Car Shortage

The new second-hand car market is emerging as a popular choice amidst the shortage of brand-new cars in the Egyptian market due to limited model supply. Auto Club’s recent inspection tour of the burgeoning second-hand car market revealed a surge of interest, particularly on Fridays, with a slightly quieter scene on Sundays.

Operating on Fridays and Sundays, the market is considering a seven-day-a-week schedule, as was previously the case with the Tenth District’s car market. Patrons agree that the new market offers numerous benefits, including 14 traffic offices for easy licensing, five public prosecution offices, nine real estate registry offices for ownership transfers, seven banks for convenient transactions, and eight workshops for car maintenance and cleaning. Also, the new market features malls with car showrooms, services absent in the old market.

According to Hassan Amin, director of one of Shellout’s maintenance branches, the company performs comprehensive inspections of cars, providing detailed reports on interiors, paint, engine condition, undercarriage, and upholstery. During the market’s fourth week of operation, the company inspected over 70 cars in one day, mainly economy models of Korean and Japanese make manufacture.

The inspection fee is 500 pounds, usually borne by the buyer.

Khaled El-Damanhouri, director of a Shell Out car wash branch, reported that the company offers car cleaning services for market patrons, costing 100 pounds for full-service washes, and 50 pounds for either interior or exterior cleaning. Most sellers prefer to have their cars cleaned before showcasing them in the market. The average number of cars cleaned ranges from 40 to 50 on Fridays and 5 to 10 on Sundays.

Mohammed Mostafa, a visiting merchant, lauds the new market’s security features, such as automated entry and exit gates. He also appreciates the presence of ambulances and fire services, which were lacking in the old market. Mostafa emphasizes the new market’s consumer safety measures and reduction of stolen car sales, made possible by comprehensive in-market inspections. He notes the old market lacked services like banking, consumer finance, car licensing, and real estate registration, all of which are available in the new market.

During its tour, Auto Club observed a designated area for showcasing cars for sale, with an entry fee of 50 pounds per car. Non-sale cars can be parked in the parking area for a fee of 20 pounds. Individual entry is free of charge.

Located on Ain Sukhna Road, the new second-hand car market spans roughly 40 acres, with a capacity of approximately 4,000 cars. The market is equipped with surveillance cameras, a sound broadcasting system, alarm networks, and a fire station. It’s connected to the new road network to alleviate traffic congestion in Cairo.