China at the centre of Egypt’s new capital which will house 6 million people

Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, located in the heart of the desert just 45km (28 miles) east of the capital Cairo, is taking shape, with China at the centre of its construction, operation and maintenance.

Chinese state-owned construction giant, China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), is not only the primary contractor for the central business district of the new city but will now operate and maintain it in a deal between China and Egypt.

The new 700 sq km (270 square mile) city will eventually house more than 6 million people and is being constructed to relieve congestion and pollution in Cairo. The total cost of the CBD’s construction – which will include a presidential palace, parliament, government buildings and space for foreign embassies – is estimated at US$3.8 billion (29.8 billion yuan).

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China is building a new Egyptian capital in the desert under its Belt and Road Initiative

The Egyptian unit of CSCEC on Wednesday announced the signing of a protocol for the operation and maintenance of the CBD project, which is seen to cement Chinese companies as key players in the country’s infrastructure development and positions Cairo as a belt and road gateway to Africa and the Middle East.

“Under the agreement, CSCEC will assume responsibility for property management, operation and maintenance of the CBD in the New Administrative Capital, providing integrated urban services to residents, tourists and businesses,” CSCEC said in a statement.

China’s housing vice-minister Dong Jianguo, who was present at the signing of the deal on Sunday, viewed the strategic partnership between the two countries “as a model of mutual benefit” and expressed China’s readiness to expand cooperation in housing, infrastructure and urban-rural development.

The CBD features Africa’s tallest skyscraper, the 385.8-metre (1,266-foot) Iconic Tower, along with 10 office towers, five residential towers and four hotels, with CSCEC being the main contractor.

Since 2023, more than 30,000 government employees have relocated to the new capital, which has served as Egypt’s official seat of government since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s third-term inauguration. Commercial tenants, including banks, are also moving into the CBD, signalling its growing economic role.

South China Morning Post