Constructing Egypt’s New Capital

Renowned for its grand architecture, cultural heritage, and religious sites, Cairo has a rich history extending back to the 10th century C.E. The city’s long run as Egypt’s capital, however, is coming to a close. As has happened many times in the country’s past, the seat of the national government is moving, this time to a brand-new city in the desert 45 kilometers (28 miles) east of Cairo.

Considering Cairo’s rising population, congestion, and pollution, the government announced in 2015 that it would build and migrate to the so-called New Administrative Capital (the city is not yet officially named). In 2024, more than 22 million people were estimated to live in Cairo, with a population density of more than 19,000 people per square kilometer. The new city will ultimately cover an area about the size of Singapore. It is designed to house more than six million residents, along with Egyptian government offices, a financial district, and other facilities.

As of March 2024, more than 1,500 families had moved to the city, according to news reports, with that number expected to reach 10,000 by the end of the year. Government ministries were relocating, the parliament began meeting in its new building, and several banks and businesses were slated to move their headquarters there.

These images of the new capital were acquired by the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 (left) and the OLI-2 on Landsat 9 in August 2017 (left) and August 2024 (right), respectively. In the earlier image, traces of the city are visible; work on the megaproject had begun by this time. The expansion of the New Administrative Capital is evident in the later image.

Several large landmarks in the new capital are easily visible in the images. Sinuous green space, part of Green River Park, stretches for 10 kilometers through the arid landscape, containing walking and biking paths and native Egyptian vegetation. Many government ministry offices comprise the dense development to the east of the park, while the Ministry of Defense occupies a sizeable facility called The Octagon (despite its concentric-circle appearance in this image). To the south, a sports complex contains the second-largest stadium in Africa and many other sports facilities. Egypt is reportedly planning a bid to host the Olympics.