New Administrative Capital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
New Administrative Capital
العاصمة الإدارية الجديدة
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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 |
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 New Administrative Capital
Location in Egypt
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| Country |  Egypt |
| Area
(as planned)
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| • City centre | 5.6 km2 (2.2 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 714 km2 (276 sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EST) |
| Major airports | Capital International Airport |
| Abbreviation | NAC |
The New Administrative Capital (NAC) is a huge new city being built in Egypt. It is located near Cairo, the current capital. This new city is planned to become Egypt's new official capital. Construction started in 2015.
The idea for the New Administrative Capital was announced in 2015. It is part of a bigger plan called Egypt Vision 2030. This plan aims to help Egypt's economy grow.
The new capital does not have an official name yet. A contest was held to choose a name and a logo for the city. Some names that have been suggested are "Wedian" (meaning "Valley"), "Masr" (which is Arabic for "Egypt"), "Kemet," "Al Mustaqbal," and "Al Salam."
The city is being built about 45 kilometers (28 miles) east of Cairo. It is in an area that was mostly empty before. The plan is for this city to hold all the main government offices and foreign embassies. It will be the new center for Egypt's government and money. The city is planned to cover about 700 square kilometers (270 sq mi). It is expected to be home to 6.5 million people. Some estimates say it could even grow to seven million.
The government decided to build this new capital to help with the crowded conditions in Cairo. Cairo is a very big city with almost 20 million people living in its wider area.
Contents
What is the New Capital Like?
The New Administrative Capital is designed to have many different areas. These include a government area, a place for foreign embassies, and a cultural area with an opera house and theaters. There will also be a central business district with tall buildings. The city will have large parks, known as the 'green river,' and 21 neighborhoods for homes.
The first part of the city is being built on over 40,000 feddans (about 170 square kilometers). This is less than a quarter of the total land set aside for the city.
Exciting Features of the City
The city will have many cool features. There will be a huge central park and man-made lakes. Plans include about 2,000 schools and a special park for technology and new ideas. The city will also have 18 hospitals, 1,250 mosques and churches, and a stadium that can hold 93,440 people. There will be 40,000 hotel rooms and a giant theme park. This theme park will be four times bigger than Disneyland. Also, 90 square kilometers of the city will be covered with solar energy farms. An electric train will connect the new capital to Cairo.
The New Administrative Capital is being built as a "smart city." This means it will use a lot of technology. Over 6,000 cameras will watch the streets. Authorities will use AI (Artificial Intelligence) to keep track of water use and how waste is managed. People living in the city will even be able to send in complaints using a mobile app.
Moving Government Offices
The plan was to move government offices, including parliament and ministries, to the new city between 2020 and 2022. However, there were some delays because of construction and the COVID-19 pandemic. So, the move of over 30,000 government workers was pushed back to March 2023. As of May 2023, 14 government groups have already moved to the New Administrative Capital.
Moving the government from Cairo to the new capital is expected to cost over US$100 million. The total cost and timeline for the whole project are still being worked out.
To help with the move, officials looked at how other countries moved their capitals. For example, they met with people from Astana, which became the new capital of Kazakhstan in 1997.
How the City is Being Built
When the project was first announced in 2015, the Egyptian military had already started building a road. This road connected Cairo to the place where the new capital would be.
At first, a company called Capital City Partners was supposed to build the city. But this plan changed. Later, Egypt signed an agreement with a Chinese company, China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC). This company agreed to help build the central business district.
Most of the building work is now managed and paid for by the Egyptian government. They set up a company called Administrative Capital Urban Development Company (ACUD). This company plans, divides land, builds roads and pipes, and sells land in the new city.
An Egyptian state-owned construction company, Arab Contractors, is building the water and sewage lines for the new capital.
Important Buildings in the Capital
Mosques and Cathedral
In January 2019, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi opened a very large mosque and a cathedral in the new city.
Al-Fattah al-Aleem Mosque
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The Al-Fattah al-Aleem Mosque is a large mosque. It has space for 17,000 people to pray, both inside and outside. It also has special rooms for learning the Quran and a library.
The Islamic Cultural Center (Grand Mosque)
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The Islamic Cultural Center is the biggest mosque in Africa. It is built in an old Egyptian style called Mamluk. It sits on a hill overlooking the New Administrative Capital. It is the largest mosque in Egypt and the third largest in the Middle East.
The Nativity of Christ Cathedral
The Nativity of Christ is a Christian church for the Coptic Orthodox Church. It can hold more than 8,000 people. It is the largest church of its kind in Egypt and the Middle East.
Green River Park
The Green River Park is a huge park planned to run through the entire new capital. It is meant to look like the Nile river. This park is expected to be 35 kilometers (22 miles) long. This would make it twice the size of New York's famous Central Park. The first 10 kilometers (6 miles) of the park are already being built.
The Octagon
The Octagon is Egypt's new headquarters for the Ministry of Defense. This huge building complex is one of the largest of its kind in the world. It is similar to The Pentagon in the United States.
Capital International Airport
The Capital International Airport is the new airport for Egypt's capital. It is built to help ease the pressure on Cairo International Airport. It will also serve Giza and the Giza Pyramids.
Egypt International Olympic City
A whole "city" for sports is being built. It is designed to host big international sports events, like the Olympic Games or the FIFA World Cup. It has more than 22 sports facilities. One of these is the Misr Stadium. This stadium opened in 2024 and can hold over 93,900 people. It is the largest stadium in Egypt and the second largest in Africa. It is expected to become Egypt's main national stadium.
Central Business District
Iconic Tower
More than 30 tall skyscrapers are being built in the new capital. One of them is the Iconic Tower. This tower will be the tallest skyscraper in both Egypt and Africa.
| Rank | Name | Usage | Max height | Floors | Construction status | Notes |
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| 1 | The Iconic Tower | Hotel, office and residential | 393.8 m (1,292 ft) | 80 | Topped out | Africa's tallest building |
| 2 | D01 | Administrative and residential | 196 m (643 ft) | 49 | Africa's tallest residential building |
Future Tall Buildings
Oblisco Capitale
The Oblisco Capitale is a planned skyscraper. It is designed to look like an ancient Egyptian obelisk. If it is built, it would be the tallest building in the world! It is planned to be 1,000 meters (3,281 feet) tall. This would make it taller than the current tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. It is planned to be finished by 2030.
| Name | Usage | Max height | Floors | Construction status | Notes |
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| Oblisco Capitale Tower | Hotel, office and residential | 1,000 m (3,281 ft) | 165 | Approved |
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Getting Around the City
The Cairo Light Rail Transit (LRT) connects Cairo to the New Administrative Capital. This train line starts in Cairo and then splits into two branches. One branch goes north to 10th of Ramadan City. The other branch goes south towards the New Administrative Capital. The train also stops in cities like Obour, Shorouk, and Mostaqbal.
A monorail line is also being built. It will connect Cairo to the new capital. It will also link up with the Cairo Metro and the Cairo LRT.
In 2021, Egypt signed a deal to build a high-speed train line. This line will go from El Alamein on the Mediterranean Sea to Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea. It will pass through the new capital and Alexandria. This 450-kilometer (280-mile) line is expected to be finished by 2023. Later, the high-speed network will connect the new capital to cities as far south as Aswan. The total network will be about 1,750 kilometers (1,087 miles) long.
The New Administrative Capital will also have its own airport, the Capital International Airport. This airport can handle 300 passengers every hour. It has space for eight airplanes and a long runway. The airport covers an area of 16 square kilometers (6.2 sq mi). It is expected to help reduce the number of flights at Cairo International Airport and Sphinx International Airport.
See also
In Spanish: Nueva Capital Administrativa para niños
