Sustainability to the fore as Egypt develops new capital

Egypt’s new capital city — one of several new cities being built across the country — has completed its first phase of development and is seeking investors to assist with the next phases.

As evidenced by its splashy presence at MIPIM, where Egypt was the the headline sponsor, the country is making a big push for investment to support its ambitious urban development plans. Central to these ambitions is the New Administrative Capital, 35 kilometers east of Cairo.

Master planning is now beginning for phases two and three, opening up a raft of investment opportunities in everything from entertainment to medical facilities to infrastructure, according to Khaled Abbas, chairman and CEO of Administrative Capital Urban Development, the owner and developer of the project.

“We are promoting Egypt’s new capital, it’s one of our major national projects in Egypt and it has lots of opportunities for investment. We have prime locations for this,” he said.

Sustainability is at the heart of the planning for the city, Abbas was keen to stress. “Egypt after COP27 has a very ambitious programme for sustainability. With the new capital, from the beginning, from the first master plan, we put the three words ‘smart, green and sustainable’ at the front of our minds,” he said.

“We have the latest transportation, we are aiming for 100% recycling waste management. We have a smart city and data-heavy administration and utility services so that we can waste as little as possible.”

Please click on the video above to watch the full interview or listen to the podcast below.