New Administrative Capital (NAC) is a large-scale project of a new capital city for Egypt.
The project has been under development since 2015 on 700 square kilometres of land. The site is located approximately 45 kilometres east of Egypt’s capital city, Cairo. To be precise, the New Administrative Capital (NAC) Project is being developed just outside the Second Greater Cairo Ring Road, in a largely undeveloped area halfway to the seaport city of Suez.
The project was announced back in March 2015 by Mostafa Madbouly the Egyptian housing minister at the time. The announcement came on the sidelines of the Egypt Economic Development Conference.
Features of the New Administrative Capital (NAC)
Generally, the NAC is set to consist of 21 residential districts and 25 dedicated districts.
It will also have amenities such as a central park, artificial lakes, about 2,000 educational institutions, and a technology and innovation park. This is in addition to 663 hospitals and clinics and 1,250 mosques and churches. There will also be a 90,000-seat stadium, 40,000 hotel rooms and a major theme park four times the size of Disneyland in the USA.
Other facilities include 90 square kilometres of solar energy farms, an electric railway link with Cairo and a new international airport at the site of the Egyptian Air Force’s existing Wadi al Jandali Airport.
According to plans, the city will become the new administrative and financial capital of Egypt upon completion. It will be home to the main government departments and ministries, and foreign embassies. In total New Administrative Capital (NAC) will have a population of 6.5 million people and it is estimated that the figure could rise up to seven million.
New Administrative Capital (NAC) Project Timeline
2015
Egypt signs MoU with Alabbar’s Capital City Partners
A memorandum of understanding was signed in 2015 between UAE-based Capital City Planners and the government of Egypt to undertake the project that would give rise to a modern, new city in Egypt to replace the old.
The announcement was received with excitement but scepticism still remained and would be validated only a few months later when the MOU was withdrawn by the government of the North African country citing lack of progress on the part of Capital City Planners.
Reported On 17 March 2015
Egypt government unveils new city construction plan to extend Cairo
Egypt’s minister of housing, Mr. Mustafa Madbouly spoke about the government’s plan to construct a new city to extend the current capital Cairo. The development will receive entire funding from private developers.
The minister, spoke about the plan at an Egyptian Economic Development Conference in Sharma el-Sheikh last week. He said it would cost US$45 billion and take 5 to 7 years to complete.
The new city is potentially hosting close to seven million residents. It will also position the capital Cairo to the east coastal part of the red sea since it will be the new capital of the country.
The plans include the creation of a new urbanized city that will cover 700 square kilometres. The country hopes to secure a backing of US$44 billion from a Middle East developer.
Steady Progress
The minister said that the new city was, at the moment, under development by Egyptian and international experts. It will be an investment of Capital City Partners, a real estate investment fund led by Emirati Mohamed Alabbar, who also built the Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building.
Backing up his report, Egypt’s minister of investment Mr Asharf Salman spoke about the project. He said that the city project’s funding will be by private investors and the Egyptian government will incur nothing in terms of the costs of building the new city.
He further said that they were talking to a master developer company. The developer from Gulf would be signing agreement documents for the construction to begin. Furthermore, the new development will lead to a city “the size of New Cairo”. Although others have said it will be the size of Singapore when complete.
The project will involve the relocation of government buildings and foreign embassies from central Cairo. It strives to ease congestion in the existing capital, which has been home to nearly 18 million people. It will involve the construction of a new airport, office buildings, massive residential buildings and facilities. The new airport will be larger than Heathrow.
Reported On 14 Oct 2015
Construction of the first phase of the new Egyptian administrative capital to begin
The construction of the first phase of the new administrative capital in Egypt will be complete in two years’ time. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi made the announcement on Sunday in a meeting with members of his Cabinet.
Egypt signed the deal with China State Construction Engineering Corporation, also known as China Construction, in September.
According to the president, the construction of the first phase of the new Egyptian administrative capital will begin in January 2016. Thereafter, it will be completed in early 2018.
Presidential Spokesperson Alaa Youssef also said that between 80 -85 per cent of the employment sourcing for the city’s construction will be domestic.
Building Cities of Modern Sophistication
According to Youssef, the president believes the new capital will be “a modern and sophisticated city reflecting the nature and culture of Egypt and providing a new life for Egyptians.” He also emphasized that the city will include low-cost housing and serve as a model for environmentally friendly cities.
The city would include almost 2,000 schools and colleges and more than 600 healthcare facilities. They say the project will create more than a million jobs.
The plan to construct the new capital in Egypt was first mooted in March this year in a bid to ease congestion and overpopulation in Cairo over the next 40 years. However, delays have marred the construction project over tendering. The project will take about 5 to 7 years to complete.
Sep 2015
Egypt signed a new deal with China State Construction Engineering Corporation
A new deal was signed later the same year with China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) for the construction of buildings that would house government ministries and agencies as well as the president’s office. Particularly, the Chinese firm would build a new parliament complex, 12 ministerial buildings, a convention centre, and an exhibition area.
These facilities would form the nucleus from which the rest of the city would grow as demand for other amenities such as housing and shopping would stem.
2016
CSCEC awarded a contract to build NACs Central Business District (CBD)
CSCEC was awarded by the Ministry of Housing, Utilities & Urban Communities a contract to build the Central Business District (CBD) a total area of 1,900,000 square meters in the NAC.
The project consists of 20 buildings, including 12 high-rise office buildings, five high-rise apartment buildings, two luxury hotels, and a 385.8m tall Iconic Tower, which will be the tallest in Africa. The whole project is scheduled to be delivered by 2022.
Reported On 11 Jan 2016
The construct of new capital in Egypt takes a new dimension
Plans to construct a new capital in Egypt have assumed a new dimension after Housing Minister Mustafa Madbouly announced the government will be taking charge of its construction.
Egypt says it is now ready to take over the project of the construction of the new Capital at Cairo, after failing to close a deal. In regards to a UAE, investor meant to lead a project.
Built to escape Cairo’s overcrowding and pollution, the new administrative capital’s cost was about $300 billion. Its features include an airport larger than London’s Heathrow and a building taller than Paris’ Eiffel Tower.
Deeper Insight
The mega-project’s unveiling was in March at the Sharm el-Sheikh economic summit. During the event, President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi urged foreign investors to help Egypt recover from turmoil after the 2011 uprising against Hosni Mubarak.
But Egyptian officials said Mohamed Alabbar, the United Arab Emirates property tycoon who helped develop Dubai’s Burj Khalifa skyscraper, would not be the lead partner in the venture due to disagreements on the finances.
According to Housing Minister Mustafa Madbouly Instead, the government will set up a wholly-owned company to lead the venture and allocate specific projects to private developers from the Gulf and elsewhere, which may include Alabbar’s Capital City Partners
“Any memorandum of understanding is just an initial demonstration of interest but when you start to negotiate the details you definitely have the possibility of not reaching the expectation of any one of the partners and this is what has happened,” Madbouly said.
The timeline was a key sticking point, with the government keen to progress at an accelerated speed.
“This was part of the discussion, of course, that based on the proposed share of each of the partners we requested an upfront investment to be offered from the developer,” he said without giving the numbers involved.
Right along the east of the ancient city of Cairo, the new capital is the grandest in a series of mega projects under Sisi. who has put in work for rapid results in a country where bureaucracy is known to slow business.
Gulf states have made donations to Egypt worth billions of dollars in aid since Sisi’s removal of Mohamed Morsi.
May 2018
CSCEC officially started the implementation of the CBD project.
Reported On 1 Sept 2018
Egypt to commence development project on its new capital
Egypt has announced to commence construction works on a 28.3-ha residential development in its new administrative capital before year-end.
Saudi-Egyptian Construction Company (Secon) project developer, through the Chief Executive Officer Darwish Hasanen, confirmed the reports and said construction will take four years in three phases.
The residential development projects came three years after a memorandum of understanding was signed in 2015. The MoU between Capital City Planners in the UAE and Egypt’s government is to build a new city that can accommodate a population of five million.
Development project
The development will comprise 60 residential buildings, offering 1,840 fully finished apartments. In addition to 98 villas, split into townhouses, twin houses, and standalone units. Egypt faces a persistent housing shortage, with population growth outstripping the supply of affordable residential units.
The project will also include pioneering sustainability technology to create new villa concepts called I-Villas. The apartments, ranging from 100 sq m to 500 sq m, feature designs that resemble villas. Each unit will have its entrance, green space and parking.
Mostafa Madbouly, Egypt’s minister of housing, utilities and urban communities spoke about the project. He said the city project in Al Qahera Al Gadida would be the first in Egypt to be built under a public-private partnership. The project will be on a land area of around 700 km2 – around 12 times the size of Manhattan Island. Its location will be right between Cairo and the Red Sea.
Since its establishment in 1975, Secon is one of Egypt’s best-known developers. Moreover, it equally splits between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Egypt. According to a report, it has completed nearly 40 projects to date, as the Egyptian news outlet reported, Secon was awarded Blue Vert’s land plot on 9 March 2017.
Reported On 11 March 2019
Egypt to construct over 40,000 housing units at New Administrative Capital
The government of Egypt is set to construct over 40,000 housing units in the new administrative capital by the end of June 2020.
Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, Essam al-Gazzar said that the project is being implemented by the Ministry of Housing and is divided into eight neighbourhoods, including villas, and mixed housing in the third district, Capital Residence.
Housing project
The project includes the construction of 23,412 housing units, 952 villas and 2,050 mixed housing units in the third district, Capital Residence while the fifth district, the New Garden City with an area of about 1,000 acres will have 23,000 housing units consisting of residential apartments and villas, in addition to an area of residential towers with mixed-use in the lower floors with about 2,000 housing units and two hotels.
Moreover, the Ministry of Housing plans to complete the first phase of a water treatment plant, five international schools, a restaurant complex and a mosque, as well as the government district and the investment zone for the New Administrative Capital.
Largest park in the world
Essam al-Gazzar also added that the Ministry has scheduled to complete the implementation of the central gardens project at the “Capital Park” which is more than 10 kilometres long and has an area of more than 1,000 acres, making it one of the largest parks around the world.
“The central park of the New Administrative Capital will provide greater opportunity for community interaction between the capital’s residents and other residents in its wider scope, and is park is expected to host more than two million visitors annually,” said Gazzar.
The park will also serve as a catalyst for encouraging a healthy life, in accordance with global rates including environmental value, green spaces, and areas for physical activities and recreation.
July 2019
Egypt starts pilot operation on the new administrative capital airport
The government of Egypt through the states Civil Aviation Ministry started a one-month trial on the newly built international capital airport in the heart of the upcoming New Administrative Capital.
Speaking during the launch of the pilot operation Wael al-Nashar, the Chairman of the Egyptian Company for Airports, said that the new aviation hub will serve the residents of East Cairo, Al Shorouk City, Heliopolis as well as the cities and governorates in the Canal plus contribute to the development of the Suez and Ain Sokhna ports, where logistics and industrial zones will be set up in the future.
An Overview of the New Administrative Capital Airport
The New Administrative Capital Airport whose main terminal building is erected on an over 5,000 square meters parcel of land with 45 service and administrative buildings in the perimeter has the capacity to accommodate 300 passengers per hour enough to narrow down the load on the Cairo International Airport.
The structure has also 8 parking lots for aircraft and on which 500 cars and 20 buses can be comfortably parked. The airport is well designed with a 3,650-meter runway suitable for receiving large aircraft and its outline allows future expansion for a much larger capacity should there be any plans for the upgrade. The runway is also equipped with lighting and automatic landing systems.
In addition, the airport is fitted with state-of-the-art airport security, management, and operating systems, a 50-meter-high on air-control tower and it will feature charter flights, opposed to Cairo International Airport.
Sep 2019
Ministry of Antiquities signed an agreement with Almasa Group for the construction of a new archaeological museum in the City of Arts and Culture
The Ministry of Antiquities signed a cooperation protocol with the Almasa Group for the construction of a new archaeological museum in the City of Arts and Culture within the NAC.
The two-floor structure, whose construction and implementation of lighting systems will be overseen by the New Capital’s City of Arts and Culture, will be built on an area of 8500 square meters, housing the main exhibition hall and an assembly of galleries.
The NAC’s district (city) of Arts and Culture will also be home to a new opera house that sits on 86,000 square meters of land accommodating up to 2,200 individuals. Within its perimeter, the city is also planned to have a 9,000 square meter central library and a number of buildings for music, cinema, painting, and sculpture, in addition to a wide range of restaurants and various services for visitors.
The Museum
According to Mostafa Waziri, the Supreme Council of Antiquities Secretary-General, the museum’s entrance will be ornamented with two Egyptian obelisks, which are originally from the eastern San Hajar area in Sharqiya. The museum will also exhibit the freshly discovered Toto cemetery, which was recently unveiled in Sohag.
“This museum will feature a variety of artefacts that reflect the history of all the Egyptian capitals from the ancient to the modern as well as the country’s cultural past,” said Waziri.
The Supreme Council of Antiquities is responsible for the organization of the full security of the museum, the design of the showrooms, and the selection of artifacts to be displayed in addition to setting them up.
Reported On 20 July 2020
Constructing the new capital of Egypt
The new capital city of Egypt when complete is intended to accommodate a population of 5 million and be the financial as well as administrative capital of the country.
Quick Facts: 5 facts you should know about the project
The project is inching closer to reality after China Fortune Land Development Company (CFLD) submitted a proposal for the development. This comes after almost 2 years of back-and-forth discussions.
The construction project was first mooted by the Egyptian housing minister Mostafa Madbouly in March 2015. It was supposed to be the answer to Cairo’s chronic congestion and would be located about 46 kilometres from the present capital city on the way to the port city of Suez and covering an area of 700 square kilometres. The project is intended to offer thousands of jobs and stimulate the economy
MOU for Egypt’s new capital city
A memorandum of understanding was signed in 2015 between UAE-based Capital City Planners and the government of Egypt to undertake the project that would give rise to a modern, new city in Egypt to replace the old. The announcement was received with excitement but scepticism still remained and would be validated only a few months later when the MOU was withdrawn by the government citing lack of progress on the part of Capital City Planners.
A new MOU later the same year was then signed with China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) with the main focus being centred around putting up buildings that would house government ministries and agencies as well as the president’s office. The Chinese were to build a new parliament complex, 12 ministerial buildings, a convention centre and an exhibition area at what is believed would be a whooping US$45bn.
This would undoubtedly form the nucleus from which the rest of the city would grow as demand for other amenities such as housing and shopping would stem. This aspect is targeted to be completed sometime between 2020 to 2022.
Ongoing work at Egypt’s new capital site
Roads and sewerage
Road construction is being undertaken by the Egyptian military while provision of water and sewerage facilities are being undertaken by an Egyptian construction company to pave the way for the commencement of the first phase of the project.
The new MOU with CSCEC however seems not to have been held because in early 2017 the Chinese pulled out with the housing ministry sitting disagreement over price. The government now seems to be opting to proceed with the construction of the first phase with local contractors whom it claims have offered lower prices. Arab Contractors are currently putting up 78 residential buildings
Though CSCEC seems to have packed its bags and gone it is believed that China Fortune Land Development Company (CFLD) will still be proceeding with phase 2 which will involve putting up shopping malls, universities, hospitals and factories in a 14,000-acre site.
An ambitious project
The construction of Egypt’s new capital is an ambitious project by any standard. It will include a park double the size of Central Park in New York City. Moreover, It will feature artificial lakes. Meanwhile, students will enjoy an array of facilities to be found in about 2,000 educational institutions. The endless list includes a technology and innovation park. In regards to health, there will be 663 hospitals and clinics. The city will also have 1,250 mosques and 40,000 hotel rooms. Watch out Disneyland because a major theme park is on the cards as well that will be four times bigger.
The city will be a smart city featuring over 90 square kilometres of solar energy farms. In addition to an electric railway link with Cairo, and a new international airport.
Entertainment District
The city will feature an entertainment district which will be built in three phases over a period of 10 years. It will include the construction of 4-star and 6-star resorts and hotels, luxury homes, and villas. Alongside, high-rises; a wellness centre; high-end and regional shopping and dining. It will also include a VIP golf course and other recreational and green space activities and theme parks.
The project’s development is by the New Administrative Capital Company. It is jointly owned by the Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities and the military
Sep 2020
Egypt launched its first ministerial headquarters
Egypt launched its first ministerial headquarters in the NAC. The headquarters of the Ministry of Finance had been furnished and equipped as a model for the rest of the ministries.
Contract awarded for management, design review, and supervision of monorail project
Hill International was been awarded a contract to provide project management, design review, and implementation supervision services for the New Administrative Capital City and 6th of October City Monorail project, the first of its kind in North Africa and the longest monorail system in the world at a total length of 98.5 km. The project’s first line will extend 56.5 km from East Cairo to the NAC while the second line will be 42 km long connecting the 6th of October City to Giza.
The project will use the design-build-operate-and-maintain (DBOM) delivery method and includes 34 stations, including both elevated and at-grade locations, and associated works including maintenance facilities, depots, and an Operations Control Centre. The monorail will also intersect with the Cairo Metro’s Line 3 as well as Cairo’s High-Speed Rail network, further connecting the dynamic Cairo region.
Reported On 14 Aug 2021
Museum of Egyptian Capitals at NAC undergoing final touches ahead of commissioning
The Museum of Egyptian Capitals under construction at the New Administrative Capital (NAC) in Egypt is undergoing final touches ahead of its opening. Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El-Anany visited the project recently in the company of Mostafa Waziry, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities; Ali Omar, Chairperson of the Supreme Committee for the Display System of the Museum; and Moamen Othman, Head of the Museums Sector at the Ministry.
According to Moamen Othman, the new museum has a number of antiquities from other museums. These include: ancient musical instruments from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, including an iconic harp; and a wooden pulpit. Alongside a deck from the Museum of Islamic Art; Fatimid ceramics from the Gayer-Anderson Museum. Alongside an apse with a cross and clusters of grapes and seashells from the Coptic Museum.
Museum of Egyptian Capitals
The Museum of Egyptian Capitals narrates the history of the country’s old capitals across different eras, comprising nine capitals. These cover Memphis, Thebes, Tell Amarna, Alexandria, as well as Fustat, and the Fatimid and Khedivial Cairos.
The museum’s main hall showcases relics of ancient and modern Egypt. It also displays belongings from different ages that represent the patterns of life in each historical period, such as decorations, weapons, and correspondences.
The museum’s second section is a pavilion that represents the Ancient Egyptian afterlife. This part consists of the tomb of Toto. in addition to a hall for mummies and coffins. It also features two display cases that contain Canopic jars and other objects imitating religious rituals in Ancient Egypt.
The display system uses modern technology, such as the exhibition halls. Alongside screens displaying an interactive panoramic film depicting history. It also features an illustration of each of the ancient Egyptian capitals, including its architecture, and religious buildings. In addition to its most famous landmarks.
October 2020
UAE-based leading sustainability pioneer Bee’ah was appointed as the waste management and city cleaning partner for Egypt’s New Administrative Capital (NAC) by the Administrative Capital for Urban Development (ACUD).
The Egyptian Parliament’s Transport and Communications Committee also approved a US $2.2bn loan facilitation agreement between the National Authority for Tunnels and GB Morgan Europe Limited and other financial institutions, for the construction of the monorail lines at the New Administrative Capital (NAC) and 6th of October city.
Dec 2020
Egypt to construct National Energy Control Center in NAC
The government of Egypt is set to construct a new National Energy Control Center in the New Administrative Capital (NAC), a large-scale project currently under construction in Cairo, the North African country’s capital city.
The country has up till now, through the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), awarded the contract for the project to a consortium made up of Siemens Smart Infrastructure, which is a department of Siemens AG, and Hassan Allam Construction, which is a subsidiary of Hassan Allam Holding, Egypt’s leading engineering, construction, and Infrastructure Company.
According to a statement released by Siemens, the contract is worth US$ 53.4m and the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.
An Insight into the Future National Energy Control Center
The future National Energy Control Center with a backup control centre in Giza will run on Siemens Spectrum Power 7, which is the company’s flagship control centre platform for transmission management in energy networks.
The high-performance platform includes a wide range of applications for grid monitoring and supervisory control, load and wind or solar power generation forecasting, network analysis, and optimization, cross-optimized thermal and hydro generation scheduling as well as generation dispatch and control.
Significance of the project
According to Sabah Mashally, EETC ‘s chairperson, this project is another step toward a robust, smart, and efficient electrical grid that is not only crucial to Egypt’s economic development but also to the enabling of faster implementation of renewable energy sources in the country.
The project further strengthens the close and successful cooperation between Egypt and Siemens to modernize the country’s electricity sector, after the joint development of the master plan for the Egyptian transmission network.
Jan 2021
First tower complete in Egypt’s NAC
The first office tower in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital was completed according to the contractor CSCEC. Dubbed the C08, the office tower had the final piece of its curtain wall installed at the beginning of the year, making it the first building to be complete in the new capital’s Central Business District (CBD).
July 2021
Installation of the air corridor was successfully completed
The lifting and installation of an iconic air corridor in Egypt’s new administrative capital at about 141 meters above the ground, was successfully completed after 18 hours of hard work. Described as the Corridor of China-Egypt Friendship or the Gateway to China-Egypt Cooperation, the air corridor connects two office buildings in the NAC’s central business district (CBD). It is made of steel and spans over 31.4 meters with a weight of 161 tons.
Reportedly, this is the first time that the CSCEC, which has been contracted to build the NAC’s CBD, adopted in the North African country the efficient technique of assembling the air corridor on the ground before lifting and fitting it mid-air.
Arguably, this technique saves both time and effort and it also lessens safety risks.
Nov 2021
Egypt’s government to start moving to the new government district
The government of Egypt is set to start moving to the government district in New Administrative Capital (NAC) in December this year, according to a presidential statement released in early November 2021.
The statement noted that this move will mark the beginning of a six months trial phase of the new premises whose construction began back in 2015 under the directive of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.
Though construction on the US$ 45bn city was slowed by the Covid-19 pandemic, “approximately 98% of the construction work in the city’s government district, which comprises 34 government buildings that will house the 32 ministries of the nation’s cabinet along with two other state authorities, has been completed” according to NAC spokesman Khaled Husseiny.
Noteworthy, the government district has been designed in a markedly pharaonic style and it is set to be the focal point of the NAC.
Reported On 22 March 2022
Egypt’s New Administrative Capital Project Updates
The New Administrative Capital (NAC) continues on to take shape. Thus far, its technological core known as “the Knowledge City” is nearing completion with the first phase to open this year. Its construction began in 2020.
This came to light when Amr Talaat, the Egyptian Minister of Communications and Information Technology toured the project site in the company of Raafat Hendy-the Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology for Infrastructure, Sherine Al-Gendy-the Assistant Minister of Communications and Information Technology for Strategy and Implementation, Ayman Hassan-the Head of the Central Department of Human Resources at the ministry, and several other ministry officials.
The first phase of Knowledge City consists of four buildings that include a building for innovation and applied research, another for technical training, a building for research and development in assistive technology, and the Egypt University of Informatics.
At the end of his tour, Talaat thanked the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces, one of the Egyptian Ministry of Defense agencies that is carrying out the project for its efforts to complete the construction of the city at the highest level.
Egypt Redraws Cairo’s Administrative Borders to Enclose NAC
In related news, the government of Egypt has redrawn Cairo’s administrative borders to enclose the approximately 46,000 feddans of the 184,000-feddan New Administrative Capital (NAC), in which the new headquarters of the House of Representatives and Senate are located, in order to fit the North African country’s constitution that requires both bodies be headquartered in the Egyptian capital.
According to a statement released recently by the Egyptian National Center for Planning State Land Uses (NCPSLU), the new space includes the 40,000-feddan first phase of the NAC in addition to 6,000 feddans designated for transport linkage grid with other country’s cities.
