Egypt is building a second Dubai

The construction of a new capital is in full swing in Egypt.

The city of over 700 square kilometers is built to the east of Cairo, between the Nile and the Suez Canal. According to plans, the ministries will move already in 2021.

Cairo ... This amazing city has been the center of various countries for centuries and has experienced much in the course of its development. But Cairo today, with its huge population, many industrial enterprises and kilometer-long traffic jams, no longer fits into the concept of the modern capital of Egypt. The area of the capital agglomeration, where more than 20 million Egyptians live (which is 1/5 of the total population of the country), is increasing every year, and the suburbs have already approached the famous pyramids in Giza and the Sphinx statue.

Especially in order to unload the overpopulated Cairo, the settlement of New Cairo was founded near it. Some state and public institutions moved here, but, alas, this did not solve the existing problems of the capital - the city continued to grow. But in the near future, the capital of Egypt will be a new city, which is being built in the desert, east of Cairo. This project promises to become one of the most ambitious construction projects in Africa, and the future capital will serve as an impetus for the development of this sparsely populated area of the country.

While Egypt's economy has suffered from the coronavirus outbreak, the construction of a new capital east of Cairo continues almost at full capacity. We took only a short pause of 10 days to adapt the process to the new conditions due to the pandemic.

It is planned that all government institutions and 5-6 million people will move there in the near future. Many, who have seen the project, call the new capital of Egypt the second Dubai. But already now it is clear that the new capital may have a number of problems. And that is why.

March 13, 2015 the Minister of Construction of Egypt Mustafa Madbuli announced the preparation for the construction of the new capital. It was reported that the new city will be located east of Cairo and in close proximity to the Second Circular Road in an underdeveloped area on the way to the seaport of Suez. The cost of the project implementation was then estimated at $45 billion; now it is $58 billion.

It is planned that the new city will house the main government ministries and agencies. There will be built a complex of government institutions, parliamentary and presidential palaces, as well as a diplomatic quarter, where foreign embassies will be located.

According to the official version, the aim of this project was the desire of the authorities to unload the city of Cairo, the population of which exceeds 19 million people, and within 40 years will grow twice as much.

However, according to other information, there is another reason for creating a new capital - to move administrative institutions from the most populated center, to isolate them from the large congregation, where protests or demonstrations often take place.

In addition to moving ministries and officials, about 6 million people want to move to the new city.

It is noted that the area of development will be about 700 square kilometers, with 67 thousand hectares allocated for administrative buildings. The new capital is to be divided into several districts: residential, administrative, business, innovative and cultural. The basis of each district should be the central public space around which stores, schools and religious buildings will be built. It is noted that this scheme will allow decentralizing the capital and improving transport accessibility.

It is also planned to build the world's largest park in the city - four times larger than Disneyland in California. And on the area of 90 square kilometers will be located "solar farms" - power plants that receive energy from solar radiation.

In addition, the new capital will be connected to Cairo by railway network, and soon the new airport should start working.

On the one hand, the Egyptian authorities announce the success of the project: it has already been announced that the relocation of members of parliament from Cairo, as well as employees of 31 ministries and other government agencies will begin in 2021 and will be carried out in two stages. At the same time, a problem may arise with the settlement of the city by ordinary Egyptians.