Alia Aglan

Aspiring journalist and sociology student with a passion for uncovering the hidden stories of our society. Always hungry for knowledge and sushi burritos.

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

@Hsafwat61390 Where'd you get the cake done?

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

@aminaamer06 Is this a Noni's cake? Or is it from somewhere else? Would love to know!!

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

There are rumors of tenants paying a lot more than they need to under Egypt’s old rent law. @JoyKellini

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

We just submitted our three infographics (def struggled with the map) but we're getting there. @JoyKellini

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

Last Thursday we went back to Tant Aleya, trying to further capture the ambiance of Tant Aleya's abode. @JoyKellini

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

It's a domino effect: When old rent laws change, the consequences ripple far beyond the apartment walls. Residents and surrounding ecosystems, local shops, services, and community ties, face wholesale change. #HousingCrisis #NeighborhoodShift @JoyKellini

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court has received its first direct challenge to the 2025 old-rent law, as heirs of a longtime tenant contest key provisions on longstanding leases, per Al-Shorouk. @JoyKellini

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

We went back to Nasr City to take a closer look at the neighbourhood and how the old rent law amendment will change it. @JoyKellini

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

As noted by Sherif Al-Jaar, who serves as both the association’s president and a lawyer for affected tenants, the court postponed the constitutional challenge until February 21, 2026, to address the substantive issues. @JoyKellini

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

The State Council’s Administrative Court will hear a case tomorrow challenging the constitutionality of the new amendments to the old rental law. People are eagerly awaiting the court’s decision. @JoyKellini

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

Capstone update: Filmed at the Nasr City apartment building last Tuesday and talked to the landlord, a tenant, and the supermarket owner across the street. We’re going back in a few days for extra b-roll! @JoyKellini

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

Big things are brewing , a documentary is underway. @joykellini

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

Market liberalization without acknowledging the legacy of rent control risks deepening inequality. A just, lasting reform needs a transitional justice framework that balances interests and ensures vulnerable Egyptians aren’t pushed out in the process. @JoyKellini

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

As Egypt pushes further into market liberalization, sidelining the social and historical roots of rent control could spark another crisis. Any reform must follow a transitional justice lens, protecting rights on all sides. @JoyKellini

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

State Security has once again extended the detention of Ayman Essam, lawyer and spokesperson for the Tenants’ Defense Association. He’s been jailed since June, when he was arrested en route to a founding meeting in Alexandria. @JoyKellini

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

As committees work and lawsuits mount, experts warn that the Old Rent Law’s rollout may test Cairo’s social fabric. The balance between justice for landlords and shelter for tenants remains uneasy. @JoyKellini

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

Under Law 164/2025, old rent contracts end after seven years for homes and five for shops. Once classification is complete, rents could rise up to 20× in “prime” areas and 10× elsewhere, with 15 percent annual increases during the transition. @JoyKellini

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

Our feature Masr El Gedida El Gedida traces how the old rent system shaped homes, memory, and class, and how its end will redraw Cairo’s map. Coming soon. @JoyKellini

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

In 1996, the balance flipped. The state decided tenants were no longer the weaker side, but old contracts stayed frozen. Today, some villas in elite areas still pay 200 EGP a month. Maintenance costs alone exceed that in a day. @JoyKellini

[Alia Aglan @alia_aglan]

By the 1980s, that protection had calcified. Flats were inherited, rents stayed fixed at 150–200 EGP, and many tenants owned other homes but kept their old-rent ones anyway. Cairo’s skyline stood still while its economy moved on. @JoyKellini