CAIRO, Sept. 20 -- Cairo's omnipresent street kiosks, where commuters grab cigarettes, children buy sweets, and residents stop for cold drinks or phone credit, are set for a makeover that some fear could price many small operators out of business.

Authorities in the Egyptian capital this week launched a scheme to standardise thousands of licensed kiosks, giving existing operators three months to adopt a unified design costing between 50,000 and 60,000 Egyptian pounds (RM3,908-4,670), a hefty sum for many small business owners.

The overhaul is the latest in a series of projects reshaping Cairo's urban landscape, which critics say have at times come at the expense of the city's architectural heritage and historic character.

Beneath a clu...