Cairo reopens Sadat metro station

Major metro station to reopen after two years

The Sadat metro station in downtown Cairo is scheduled to reopen at 06.00 on 17 June, almost two years after it was closed for security concerns, according to the state news agency MENA.

The reopening of the important metro station, which is located beneath the central Tahrir Square, comes a day before the beginning of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Egypt's transport minister Hani Dahi reportedly said the decision to open the underground station, one of Cairo's largest, comes after receiving the approval of the country's interior ministry.

The station has remained closed since August 2013 following days of violent clashes between government forces and protestors of ousted president Mohammad Morsi.

The area above the metro station also acted as the epicentre of the 2011 uprising that saw the removal of Hosni Mubarak after almost three decades in power.

The Sadat station is one of only two in Cairo where passengers can switch subway lines.

The country's transport ministry has applied to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for a €175m loan to help fund the purchase of a fleet of trains for the Cairo metro.