Al-Shawarbi Street used to be a very vibrant street connecting Abd al-Khaliq Tharwat and Qasr al-Nil Streets. In the mid to late 1970s, when Egypt was going through an economic transformation from a state-led economy to an open market policy of Infitah, al-Shawarbi was the only place in Egypt where you could buy exclusive, imported goods. It became a sign of status to buy something from al-Shawarbi. It remained an icon for quality imported goods until the 1980s, when the general decay of Downtown was underway. 

Unlike the pedestrianization of al-Alfi Street and al-Bursa district, which helped revitalize those areas, al-Shawarbi Street did not share the same success, possibly due to its single use as a source of cheap clothing. A major fire in 2010 further decreased the street’s status, with 15 shops and 2 company headquarters burnt, and losses estimated at EGP15 million.