President Abdel Fattah El Sisi attended early Wednesday a ceremony marking the launch of a number of projects in the new Administrative Capital.

Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, Defense Minister Sedqy Sobhy and Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff Mahmoud Hegazy attended the inauguration ceremony alongside a number of ministers. 
Housing Minister Moustafa Madboly said the new Administrative Capital project represents a leap Egypt's modern history.

He said this giant project will set an example for other projects as it was set up with high quality and low cost in line with directives of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.

He referred to several problems facing Egypt, including overpopulation, a shabby road network in addition to electricity and energy problems. 
Housing Minister Moustafa Madbouly said Egypt's 2030 sustainable development strategy aims at realizing a balance of population distribution as Egyptians live on 7% of Egypt's area.

He said the ministry plans to up the inhabited area to 12-14 percent to absorb the bloating population.

He underlined the importance of accelerating the establishment of new cities in the coming period. 
Housing Minister Moustafa Madboly said all governmental departments will be moved to the new Administrative Capital, noting that all residential areas in the city will be supplied with all services.

The Administrative Capital is located between Old Cairo and development projects being implemented in the Suez Canal area, he said.

The 170,000-feddan Administrative Capital will be a green, smart and business city, he said, noting that Cairo is established on 95,000 feddans.

He said the new capital will have housing units for all social categories. 
The housing minister said that his ministry is planning to build housing units to accommodate 6.5 million people in the New Administrative Capital.

The main road network is approximately 650 kilometres in total length, Madbouly said.

He underlined that the Transport Ministry recently signed a deal to build an electric rail line linking the Cairo suburb of Al-Salam City with the New Administrative Capital.

Studies are underway to establish a "monorail" that will connect Nasr City with New Cairo and the New Administrative Capital, the minister said. 

The foundation stone of this project was laid down in May 2016, Madbouly said. 
The housing minister said that for the first time, "utility tunnels" will be set up in the New Administrative Capital. The utility tunnel or utilidor is a passage built above ground to carry utility lines, such as electricity, steam, water supply pipes, and sewer pipes.

Also, schools, mosques, a church, and a postal office will be finalized in the residential compound in the New Administrative Capital by the end of 2018, Madbouly said.

The second project involves the building of 20 residential towers, including a 345-meter tower, in the New Administrative Capital by one of China's leading construction companies, Madbouly added.

The Defense Ministry, in coordination with the Housing Ministry started to establish a city for arts and culture in the New Administrative Capital.

A central park, named "The Green River", will be built in the New Administrative Capital, Madbouly said.

A documentary on the Green River in the New Administrative Capital was displayed. 
Chairman of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority Kamel el Wazir said about 45 percent of a 59-feddan mosque was accomplished.

Wazir said President Abdel Fattah El Sisi ordered the establishment of three mosques alongside a 15-feddan cathedral.

About 10 percent of a 92-feddan sports city was accomplished, he said.

He said the authority will also build an administrative control authority over 18 feddans.

The authority is also building 14 roads in addition to expanding the regional ring road to six lanes instead of four. 
Chairman of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority Kamel el Wazir said the authority accomplished 91 percent of four under-construction bridges.

He said the authority is working on four tunnels.

He added that the authority is supervising the establishment of six international universities.

He noted that the authority is implementing 126 services projects in various development domains in Sinai peninsula at a total cost of EGP 150 billion.

Source: MENA