When Ruba Nadda finished writing the script for Cairo Time she showed it to
producer Daniel Iron of Foundry Films. Daniel, remembering Ruba's previous
feature Sabah, loved the script and decided to work with her.
Atom Egoyan gave the screenplay for Cairo Time to Christine Vachon and
Charles Pugliese at Killer Films in New York in 2005. Vachon saw there was
a lot of potential in the script and decided to meet Nadda with Pugliese.
After meeting Nadda they wanted to get involved in the project and there by
became executive producers. Because Canada did not have co-production
treaties with Egypt they needed to find a way to shoot in Egypt anyhow.
Iron was introduced to David Collins of Samson Films in Ireland by Ruba
Nadda. Collins met Nadda at a film festival in Mannheim and in Rotterdam
and was familiar with her work. Samson decided to join the project, making it
a Canada-Ireland co-production, and so were allowed to shoot in Egypt.