How did land reform after the 1952 revolution change land ownership in Egypt?

Following the 1952 revolution, the Egyptian government implemented the Agrarian Reform Law to dismantle feudalism, redistribute wealth, and secure peasant support. Prior to this reform, land ownership was highly concentrated, with 1 percent of owners holding more than 20 percent of private land, while the majority of holdings were less than one acre.1

The reform introduced several key changes to land ownership and rural management:

• Ceiling on Holdings: The law established a maximum limit on individual land ownership, initially set at 200 faddāns (one faddān equals 1.038 acres) and later reduced to 100 faddāns.1
• Redistribution: Land exceeding these limits was expropriated by the state and redistributed to peasants in parcels of no more than five faddāns. College graduates were permitted to receive up to 20-faddān parcels.1
• Cooperatives: New landowners were required to join state-organized cooperatives for production, marketing, and credit, which effectively replaced the middlemen who had previously exploited the peasantry.1
• Tenancy Regulation: The law regulated rental conditions, capping rent at 50 percent of the product and prohibiting tenants from holding more than 50 acres to prevent subletting.1

While these measures improved the social status and political participation of small farmers, the economic impact was limited, and significant disparities in landholding persisted.1