Cairo/Ma'adi

Street 232 in Ma'adi

Ma'adi a suburban district of Cairo, to the south of the city center on the eastern bank of the Nile, consists of two distinct areas, Old Ma'adi and New Ma'adi . Ma'adi was established in 1904, when a railway was built through the area, connecting Cairo and Helwan to the south. The New Ma'adi and extension grew outwards and includes the area of Digla.

Get in

By metro

Ma'adi is easily accessible by subway with three stations on Metro line 1;

• 1 Hadayeq El-Maadi (حدائق المعادي). (updated Apr 2024)
• 2 Maadi (محطة مترو المعادي). (updated Apr 2024)
• 3 Sakanat El-Maadi (ثكنات المعادي). (updated Apr 2024)

By ferry

Scheduled boat service is available from many points along the Nile via via Nile Taxi, there are departures every 30 minutes during the morning and afternoon rush. As the name implies, it's also possible to use it as a taxi service. Boats arrive at a dock next to 4 Ma'adi Yacht Club.

By car

If travelling by car, Ma'adi is quite easily accessed via the Ring road.

See

Not many sights out here, you'll need to take the metro for central Cairo sights and the Pyramids.

• Hashemite Villa, 15 Malika Dina St Ma'adi. Home of the late King Hussein of Jordan and his first wife Dina Abdel Aziz Ouan whilst they courted. They were married in Ma'adi Cairo April 15, 1955. The villa was abandoned for a long while, but has been repainted and refurbished and turned into office space for a petroleum company. 

Do

• Wadi Digla Protected Area (You can take a taxi from Ma'adi to the entrance at Wadi Dilga. Taxi drivers in Ma'adi should know where to go.). 60 km², near Ma'adi, that offers opportunity for taking a trek, jogging, rock climbing, and cycling. Wadi Digla is also a good spot for bird watching, and viewing the various reptile species, plants, and deer that reside there. To get out of the park, either pay to have the taxi wait, or it's a 15-minute walk out to the main road where you can catch another taxi. If you do walk out to the main road, do be aware that a pack of dogs hangs out around the park entrance. LE 5 for foreigners, and an extra LE 5 to bring a car into Wadi Digla. 
• M/S Nile Crystal Cruise, Maadi Road and Corniche el-Nile, ☏ +20 124347988. Two dining rooms, serving mainly Egyptian cuisine, with belly dancing, music and Tanoora dancers. 

Buy

Most locals shop at the Ma'adi Mall, home to shops, restaurants and a movie theatre. There are many small shops on Rd. 9, featuring jewellery, clothing, electronics, etc. A local farmer's market exists behind the Ma'adi metro station, adjacent to Rd. 9.

• 1 Maadi Grand Mall (معادي جراند مول). (updated Apr 2024)

Eat

Road No. 9 provides a slew of restaurants and the gamut of American fast food franchises.

• Café Greco, 64 Road 9, ☏ +20 2380 9326. Place to get coffee and enjoy home-made waffles. 
• Euro Deli, 35 Road 232 (off of Road 213), ☏ +20 251 700 35. 
• 1 Fish Market, Corniche El Nil. A pleasant fresh fish restaurant with a wide range of choice and good service. Choose your fish on ice before it is cooked. Fruit and alcoholic drinks available. Prices around EGP 120 per person including wine but strongly dependent on what fish you choose. 
• Fusion Restaurant, Corniche el-Nil. Situated along the Nile, Fusion serves Asian cuisine. 
• Gaya, 32 Road 253, New Maadi, ☏ +20 251 998 60. Serves Chinese and Japanese cuisine. 
• Jared's Bagels, 82 Road 9 (Near the Maadi Metro Station), ☏ +20 12-788-8702. 6:30AM-9:30PM. Numerous varieties of bagels, muffins, scones, Belgian waffles, and other options. Wi-fi available. 
• La Rosa, 19 Road 231, New Maadi, ☏ +20 251 67337. Serves pizza, pasta, and other Italian cuisine. 
• Lan Yuan, 84 Road 9. 11AM - Midnight. Chinese food ranging from dumplings, fried rice, and various rice, noodle, meat, and vegetable dishes, along with deep-fried bananas topped with ice cream for dessert. Eat in or delivery. 
• Lucille's, Road 9 (near the Sakanat Maadi metro station). American diner named after owner Lucille Crooks. Improbably enough, according to Time magazine, they serve what may be the best burger in the entire world; perhaps a small exaggeration, but you'll certainly be hard put to find a better one in Egypt. Just don't expect any pork in your BBQ "bacon" burger. Also, a good place for American-style breakfast. 
• TGI Fridays. Outlet of the American restaurant chain located along the Nile in Ma'adi. 

Drink

• Fish Market, Corniche el Nil (Near Maadi's main Midan on the Nile). A pleasant fresh fish restaurant with a wide range of choice and good service. Choose your fish on ice before it is cooked. Fruit and alcoholic drinks available. Prices around LE 120 per person including wine but strongly dependent on what fish you choose. 
• 1 Red Onion, 27 A Road 276, New Maadi, ☏ +20 252 002 40. (updated Oct 2018)
• Tabasco, 45, Road 7, ☏ +20 235 912 22. 

Sleep

• 1 Maadi Hotel, 19 Misr Helwan Road, ☏ +20-2-23585858. Once a four-star hotel, now distinctly worse for the wear. US$85. (updated Oct 2018)
• 2 Holiday Inn Maadi, Cornish El-Nil, Maadi, Cairo (About 700 m from Maadi metro station). Check-in: 3 pm, check-out: Noon. (updated Oct 2018)