New Administrative Capital

New Administrative Capital
العاصمة الإدارية الجديدة
City
From top, left to right: Al-Fattah al-Aleem Mosque, Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ, view of the central business district, Green River Park, view of the government district & Oblisco Capitale (future building of the World)
From top, left to right:
Al-Fattah al-Aleem Mosque, Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ, view of the central business district, Green River Park, view of the government district & Oblisco Capitale (future building of the World)
New Administrative Capital is located in Egypt
New Administrative Capital
New Administrative Capital
Coordinates: 30°01′39″N 31°45′54″E / 30.02750°N 31.76500°E / 30.02750; 31.76500
Country Egypt
Area
 (as planned)
 • City centre
5.6 km2 (2.2 sq mi)
 • Urban
714 km2 (276 sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EST)
Major airportsCapital International Airport
AbbreviationNAC
Websiteacud.eg

The New Administrative Capital (NAC)[1][2] (Arabic: العاصمة الإدارية الجديدة, romanized: al-ʿĀṣima al-ʾIdārīya al-Jadīda), is a new urban community in Cairo Governorate, Egypt and a satellite of Cairo City. It is planned to be Egypt's new capital and has been under construction since 2015.[3] It was announced by the then Egyptian housing minister Mostafa Madbouly at the Egypt Economic Development Conference on 13 March 2015.[4] The capital city is considered one of the projects for economic development, and is part of a larger initiative called Egypt Vision 2030.[5]

The new capital of Egypt has yet to be given a name. A competition was launched on the new capital's website to choose a new name and logo for the city. A jury of specialists was formed to evaluate the proposals submitted to list and determine the best among all the proposals.[6][7] No official results have yet been announced by the Egyptian Government. In October 2021, transportation minister Kamel al-Wazir indicated the city might be named "Wedian" (meaning "Riverbed" or "Valley"), or "Masr" (the Arabic equivalent of "Egypt").[8] Other proposed names include "Kemet," "Al Mustaqbal," and "Al Salam."[9]

The new city is to be located 45 kilometres (28 miles) east of Cairo and just outside the Second Greater Cairo Ring Road, in a largely undeveloped area halfway to the seaport city of Suez. According to the plans, the city will become the new administrative and financial capital of Egypt, housing the main government departments and ministries and foreign embassies. On 700 square kilometres (270 sq mi) total area, it is expected to house a population of 6.5 million people, though it is estimated that the figure could rise to seven million.[10][11]

The government stated that the undertaking of the project is to relieve congestion in Cairo.[12][13] Cairo has a metropolitan population of nearly 20 million.

  1. ^ "Egypt's new desert capital faces delays as it battles for funds". Reuters. 13 May 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Inside Egypt's new capital". Property Week. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Egypt Announces Plans to Build New Capital". The New York Times. Associated Press. 13 March 2015. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015.
  4. ^ "Egypt plans new capital adjacent to Cairo". Al Jazeera. 14 March 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  5. ^ "Egypt Vision 2030" (PDF). arabdevelopmentportal.com.
  6. ^ "The New Administrative Capital launches a competition to choose a new name and logo". Youm7.
  7. ^ "العاصمة الإدارية تطلق مسابقة لاختيار اسم وشعار جديد". www.baladnaelyoum.com (in Arabic).
  8. ^ Reguly, Eric (25 October 2021). "Escape from Cairo: Why is el-Sisi building a new capital in the Egyptian desert?". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  9. ^ Beck, Eldad (10 September 2023). "Move over, Cairo: Egypt's new capital draws awe as well as criticism". www.israelhayom.com. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Egypt to build new administrative and business capital". BBC News. 13 March 2015.
  11. ^ Walker, Brian (16 March 2015). "Egypt unveils plan to build glitzy new capital". CNN. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  12. ^ "New capital to cut Cairo overcrowding". The National. 14 March 2015.
  13. ^ "So why is Egypt building a new capital city right next to Cairo?". CityMetric. New Statesman. 19 March 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2016.