Egypt’s SOKNA turns to private-sector solutions to ease cemetery shortages amid rising demand

SOKNA, Egypt’s first company to provide organised funeral services, has announced plans to collaborate with the government to modernise the construction and management of cemeteries, offering families a more structured and dignified alternative.

Founded in 2019, SOKNA has established itself as a pioneer in funeral organisation, providing services designed to honour the deceased while easing the logistical and financial burden on families. The company said it has served more than one million clients in Egypt and abroad, achieving a customer satisfaction rate of 99.5%.

Rising demand

According to SOKNA founder and chief executive Ahmed Gaballah, Egypt faces a genuine shortage of burial spaces, driven by rapid population growth and the expansion of new urban communities that often lack nearby cemeteries. Many existing burial sites are outdated, some lack proper legal documentation, and there is no unified system governing cemetery management.

Gaballah noted that under Egypt’s Vision 2050, the population of Greater Cairo is expected to increase by 60% to around 38 million by 2050 compared with 2020 levels, sharply intensifying demand for burial land.

“The government is currently allocating about 10,000 acres for new cemeteries in east and west Greater Cairo,” he said, stressing that private-sector participation is essential to reduce pressure on the state and establish an organised, institutional framework for burial services.