On Sunday, the 1st of June, Egypt announced plans to build a desert city, which will divert about 7% of the Nile’s water from the fertile delta lands. The water will flow past high-end homes and on to a large agricultural project, reports Reuters.
The new city is part of Egypt’s Nile Delta scheme, an ambitious agricultural initiative that aims to revitalise approximately 2.5 million acres of land west of the original Nile Delta.
The new city, Jirana, means “flow” in Arabic.
Egypt, which faces water shortages, electricity restrictions and a deepening economic crisis, wants the project to help increase the value of the country’s assets and raise land prices through “unconventional, innovative ideas”, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said in a statement announcing the project.
He added that it will create 250 000 jobs and serve as a cornerstone for a larger development zone equivalent in size to four to five provinces.
The ambitious agricultural project, launched in 2021, also aims to increase the production of key crops such as wheat and corn, while reducing the country’s food import bill.
Approximately 10 million cubic metres of Nile water will flow into the 6.8 million square metre city, located 42 km west of Cairo, helping to irrigate 2.28 million acres of the New Delta agricultural project.
The official agreement was signed by three private developers, while the state was represented by Mostakbal Misr for Sustainable Development, an agency linked to the military. The government did not disclose the total cost of the project.
The developers added that the project will include luxury residences, skyscrapers, universities, hospitals, a hotel, shopping centres, a yacht port, a free economic zone, as well as a cultural and media district.
Construction began five months ago and, according to the project developers, is expected to be completed within five years.
Egypt unveils plans for new desert city
