A new capital for Egypt, but not for most Egyptians
Lesson summary
Hi, there everyone, it’s Jeff, and this is Plain English lesson number 437. JR is behind the controls, and he has posted the full lesson to PlainEnglish.com/437.
Coming up today… one of the oldest countries in the world is about to get a new capital. The plans for Egypt’s unnamed capital are stunning. If all goes according to plan, most government functions will move to the new city, over 6 million residents will live there, and the city will have the tallest building in the world. But it’s not all good news, especially for the vast majority of Egyptians that can’t afford to live there. The expression we’ll talk about today is “from scratch.” I can’t believe we haven’t done that one before; it’s a great English expression to know. And JR has a song of the week too, so let’s dive in.
Egypt’s government is slowly moving into its new capital city
About 100 million people live in Egypt, a fifth of them in Cairo, the capital, or in the surrounding areas. It’s the largest metropolitan area in Africa and the Middle East. The metro area’s population has doubled since 1990, but the ancient city’s infrastructure has struggled to keep up. The streets are densely packed, arteries are jammed with traffic, and the pollution is suffocating: in fact , Cairo has been called one of the most polluted cities in the world.
Egypt has been investing in satellite cities around the capital to cope with the growth. About 32 kilometers to the east , 6th of October city is home to about half a million people. About the same number of people live in New Cairo, a new city to the west of Cairo. These cities include homes, factories, offices, and amenities like golf courses and hotels. But it’s still not enough to contain the sprawling growth of Cairo, the center of business and government in Egypt.
At the same time , Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the country’s president, is keen to make his mark on Egyptian society. The retired general led the military overthrow of the previous president amid massive protests on the streets. In 2014, he won an election with 97 percent of the vote; as the military’s official candidate, the outcome was not in doubt.
But since he took office, living standards have declined for ordinary Egyptians, and al Sisi has increasingly ruled as an authoritarian. So, he is turning to mega-projects to cement his legacy and, he says, boost the economy by attracting foreign investment. The new capital is one of those projects.
The new capital doesn’t yet have a name; it’s being called the New Administrative Capital, and a competition is being held to give it a name. It’s situated about 45 kilometers east of Cairo, about halfway between the current capital and the port city of Suez.
The new city is being planned from scratch . Its primary function is to be an efficient seat of government hosting government ministries, a new Parliament building, a presidential residence, and other government offices, all arranged around a central square.
Separately, a massive complex called “The Octagon” will house Egypt’s Ministry of Defense. The Octagon will be ten buildings arranged around a circle; each building will be in the shape of an octagon, with eight sides. It will be one of the largest military headquarters in the world.
But the city will not just be for government offices. Twenty-one residential districts are planned, each with its own individual character. One is built to look like an American suburb, another like the elegant streets of Paris.
The Al-Fattah Al-Aleem Mosque is the largest mosque in Egypt and the second-largest in the world; it has a capacity of 17,000 people. The Nativity of Christ Cathedral is the largest Christian place of worship in the entire Middle East.
The business district will feature the 80-story Iconic Tower, which is currently under construction. It will be Africa’s tallest building—but not for long. That’s because Egypt has plans to build the tallest building in the world, the Oblisco, in the shape of an obelisk, a structure the Pharaohs built thousands of years ago. According to its designs, Oblisco will be exactly one kilometer tall.
Two sports complexes are being built; one will feature a 90,000-seat stadium that could host World Cup soccer. The New Administrative Capital already hosted the world championship of men’s handball as a trial run for a potential Olympic bid. Several universities are planned; the German International University has already completed its branch in the new capital.
A long linear greenway, twice the size of New York’s Central Park, will feature a man-made river made to symbolize the Nile River. Tens of thousands of hotel rooms, a theme park, venues for arts and culture, golf courses, and more will keep people entertained. A monorail will help residents get around the city and the region; a new train line to Cairo is also planned. Buildings will have solar panels, all payments will be digital, and the infrastructure will be monitored digitally as well.
Today, much of the city is built, but it’s eerily quiet. Many roads and public spaces are finished, and most of the office buildings in the central business district have topped out. However, only a small fraction of government jobs have moved. President al-Sisi directed more government departments to make the transition from Cairo to the new capital at the end of 2021. Egypt’s cabinet held its first meeting there in early January. A small portion of homes have been sold, but most of them stand empty.
Just one question… is this even a good idea? Critics say this is political showboating by al-Sisi, designed to distract from his failures of basic governance. Others say that the money spent on the new capital should be directed toward improving the lives of ordinary Egyptians. And although the capital will have a capacity of 6 million residents, the majority of Egyptians won’t be able to afford the high prices being charged.
But the biggest criticism is about who stands to benefit from the massive development. By moving the capital city, and the seat of power to a brand-new place, the government, will lure businesses and wealthy individuals to the new capital. To establish a presence there, they’ll need to buy land. Who owns the land? The development corporation is fifty-one percent owned by the military; the rest is owned by the Ministry of Housing.
In other words , by moving the capital, the government is pulling off a one-time extraction of wealth from anyone—domestic or foreign—who wants to be near the government. And the military will be able to use this new wealth and its massive new headquarters to further strengthen its hold on Egyptian society.
Visit to Mexico
A brief housekeeping item for you. I will be in Mexico City for the entire month of February. In fact , this lesson comes out on January 27, and that is the day I’m leaving. So, I’ll be in Mexico starting today through the end of February 2022.
And we have so many members and listeners from Mexico—I know you don’t all live in the capital, but if you live in Mexico City, or if you will be traveling through Mexico City at any point in February, I’d love to be able to meet you and say hello.
If you’re interested, visit PlainEnglish.com/meet and share your details and we’ll work something out. PlainEnglish.com/meet
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