The Egyptian government has granted legal status to 191 churches and affiliated Christian service buildings, in a move welcomed by campaigners as part of ongoing efforts to address challenges facing Christian communities.

The executive order was issued on 19 May following a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli. It brings the total number of churches and buildings approved since a government committee was established in 2016 to 3,804.

The legalization program was introduced to resolve the status of thousands of unlicensed places of worship built over previous decades. Under Egypt’s Church Construction Law, passed in 2016, authority over church construction and renovations was transferred from security agencies to provincial governors.

While many Christians have welcomed the reforms, concerns remain over unequal treatment. The same legal requirements do not apply to Sunni Muslim places of worship, and other minority groups, including Ahmadi, Baha’i and Shiite communities, are not covered by the law.

Religious freedom watchdog CSW praised the move but called for broader protections.

The charity's founder and president Mervyn Thomas said: "CSW welcomes the news that the Egyptian government has granted 191 churches and service buildings legal status, and we encourage the government to continue with this process to resolve the situation of the large number of places of worship built over past decades.

"We also encourage the Egyptian government to expand these policies to include other unrecognized religious groups such as the Ahmadiya, Baha’i and Shiite Muslim communities, to reflect the rights provided in the Egyptian constitution and the personal commitment of President Sisi towards promoting freedom of religion or belief and equality of citizenship."