Cairo, Egypt's capital, boasts a history spanning over 1,000 years, earning its reputation as one of the world's most iconic cities. However, the country has decided to relocate its capital, and recent images from NASA have captured the rapid development of the brand-new capital city being built in the desert 45 kilometres (28 miles) east of Cairo. According to Newsweek, the plan to move the new capital was first announced back in 2015, driven by the need to address Cairo's swelling population, traffic congestion and pollution.
Images of the new capital were acquired by the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 and the OLI-2 on Landsat 9 in August 2017 and August 2024 respectively. In the earlier image, traces of the city are visible as the work on the megaproject had begun by this time. The second image shows the progress of the construction of the new city in 2024.
"Egypt is relocating its capital to a brand new city in the desert outside of Cario. #Landsat captured these images of the new capital in August 2017 and 2024, showing the expansion of the city and several prominent landmarks," NASA Earth wrote on X.
See the image here:
Notably, the city dubbed as The New Administrative Capital (NAC) will be a sprawling metropolis, comparable in size to Singapore, and designed to accommodate over six million residents. This futuristic city will feature sleek skyscrapers, including a 77-storey tower, as well as Egyptian government offices, major financial hubs, and other impressive infrastructure. It is estimated to cost over $58 billion.
The images by NASA reveal the impressive landmarks of Egypt's new capital city, including a 10-kilometre-long Green River Park, offering walking and biking paths. Many government ministry offices also comprise the dense development to the east of the park, while the Ministry of Defense occupies a sizeable facility called The Octagon. The images also feature a massive sports complex featuring Africa's second-largest stadium aimed at catching the attention of the Olympic committee.
More than 1,500 families have moved to the new capital, with the population expected to reach 10,000 by the end of the year.
