The centrepiece of the new city is Africa's tallest building.
Rising from the desert 28 miles (45km) east of Cairo, the New Administrative Capital (NAC) has officially taken over as Egypt's functional seat of power. Once a barren stretch of sand, the site is now home to Africa’s tallest skyscraper and a high-tech government district that has seen tens of thousands of civil servants relocate from the historic capital.
Read more: EG: Africa's brand new capital city will have 6.5m residents and cost £43bn
Egypt jumped 47 places in the World Bank’s Digital Government Maturity Index 2025, ranking 22nd globally after being classified among the top-performing countries in digital governance.
Egypt was placed in Category A—the highest tier of the index—with a maturity score of 0.911 out of 1, up from 0.751 and 69th place in the previous report issued in 2022.
The latest ranking reinforces Egypt’s position among global leaders in digital government.
Read more: Egypt jumps 47 places in 2025 Digital Government Maturity Index
China’s expanding role in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital (NAC) has moved beyond construction into long-term operations, prompting concerns about whether the project represents a development opportunity or a strategic dependency. Located approximately 45 kilometers east of Cairo, the 700 square kilometer city is intended to reduce overcrowding in the capital and eventually house more than six million people. Central to the project is a $3.8 billion Central Business District (CBD), which includes government buildings, foreign embassies, and the 385.8-meter Iconic Tower. The China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), a Chinese state-owned firm, is not only building the district but will also operate and maintain it. About 85 percent of the financing comes from Chinese lenders, including a $2.2 billion loan from China Exim Bank.
Read more: EG: China’s Smart City Vision or Surveillance Hub? Egypt’s Future in Question
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Huge capital investment is changing the face of modern Egypt, but is this growth being reflected in its AV sector? Paul Milligan speaks to those on the ground.
It has been anything but dull in the last five years in Egypt. Internal and external investment has surged which has seen a slew of huge infrastructure projects get the go-ahead, including the construction of a whole new city. Egypt’s economic outlook is on an upward trajectory, with a predicted GDP growth of 4.7% in 2025-2026, surpassing the IMF’s previous forecast of 4.1%.
Read more: Egypt is building smart cities for a digital future