Egypt mulls new capital amid furore

In a bid to ease the rising population and traffic congestion in centuries-old Cairo, the Egyptian government has floated a plan to build a new administrative capital for this country of 85 million people, triggering a huge controversy.

The plan, discussed last week at a cabinet meeting, envisages relocating the ministries, the parliament and the presidential seat to a new city to be constructed outside Cairo, around 60 kilometres from the coastal city of Suez.

“The new administrative capital, being planned, is a development project aimed at creating an integrated and high-tech working environment supported by high-quality infrastructure facilities,” Housing Minister Mustafa Madbouli said.

According to him, the new city will house foreign embassies, business centres, technology complexes, universities, hotels and a residential community.