The construction of these cities aims to reduce congestion, generate job opportunities, and utilise technology and artificial intelligence (AI) for a better quality of life in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030.
Egypt has built 24 smart cities over the past few years and seeks to increase them to 38 by 2050, said Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli recently.
Among smart cities where digital solutions and green tech play a key role in urban areas, the recently inaugurated cities are New Mansoura City in the Nile Delta region, Al-Galala City in northeast Egypt, and New Aswan City in southern Egypt.
Al Galala City
Galala Mountain Project is one of the largest of its kind. It is constructed under the supervision of the Authority of Engineering of the Armed Forces. The project is one of 253 important national projects in the Egyptian governorates.
It includes El Galala City, Galala Ain Sokhna Resort that overlooks the Suez Gulf, Galala University and the Sokhna-Zafarana Road.
The purpose of the Galala City Ain Sokhna project is that it contributes to achieving development in Egypt by creating new integrated urban communities on high international standards.
The city has attracted many investments with a value of $100 million because of its unique location and charming nature. Its area is about 17,000 feddans (acres) and it includes the main road and secondary axis.
Galala University
Galala University is a huge educational entity that includes many specialisations like engineering, sciences, medicine, dentistry, mass communication, human and social sciences and many other subjects. The university will accommodate 12,790 students in the first three stages, in addition to an academy for sciences at the Galala Plateau.
Main Plateau road in Galala
The main road connects between Attakaarea, which lies on Ain Sokhna Road that continues up the 77-metre-high plateau with the new road called BeniSueif-Zafrana, 160 kilometres, making a bridge between Zafarana area and Beni Sueif on the Nile River.
The length of the main Galala Plateau Road is about 82 kilometres on both sides while the permitted top speed is 120 km/h.
New Aswan city
The new city, developed by theNew Urban Communities Authority (NUCA), is located on the west bank of the River Nile, 12 km from Aswan city will offer social housing for 1 million residents.
Nile Park
It includes a pioneering residential and commercial community including healthcare, business, retail, hospitality, cultural facilities and 138 acres Nile Park, the first in Aswan. The Nile Park is a planting sustainability model and a first in Aswan governorate in terms of size, 138 acres with a length of 6 km. The park offers a marina as the city’s primary gateway and totally free and unhindered public access to the river.
Magdy Yacoub medical facility
The project also houses Sir MagdyYacoub medical complex offering free healthcare for low-income citizens and sponsoring other charitable endeavours. The cultural facilities, located by the Nile, include a museum, open air theatre and samples of Nubian style tourist villages servicing both local residents and tourist alike. The boulevard, at the northern border of the development, has a pedestrian walkways, bike trails and playgrounds. Most significantly a new tram service will connect the project’s east to west areas to enhance visitor’s traffic, expand retail and housing investment opportunities, and create new work opportunities for local residents.
The project extends over 1,050 feddans. The first phase covers 181 feddans. It includes utilities and networks for water, wastewater, irrigation, electricity, landscaping, and wall retaining. The River Strip project includes 63 villas in the villas area, a tourist walkway, the Nile Park, which extends for 6 km, an open-air Roman theatre that seats 3,000 people, three pedestrian crossovers, and the recreational commercial mall area with shops, recreation areas and restaurants.
New Minya city
It was established by Cabinet decree (278/1986). Work in the project began actually in 1991 and the cordon of the city was modified by presidential decree (392/2004). It lies north east of the Nile. It is 250 kilometres far from Cairo.The total area of the city is 24,600 acres. It includes residential areas, services facilities, industrial complexes, tourism and recreation projects.
The number of service buildings implemented by New Urban Communities Authority is 74, including 19 educational buildings, 10 hospitals and medical centers, 11 commercial services, 6 nurseries, 5 mosques, 9 social services, 11 public services, in addition to 84 buildings executed by private sector.
The new city of Minya included various development projects in water, wastewater, electricity, education, housing, agriculture and industry.
