Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has ordered a strict adherence to the timeframe set for construction in the New Administrative Capital during a tour of the mega city’s main neighbourhoods and buildings.
According to a statement by the presidency, El-Sisi was briefed on the construction of Egypt’s Islamic Cultural Centre, which will be home to one of the world’s largest mosques, Misr Mosque.
The mosque, which has a 140-metre-high minaret, can accommodate up to 107,000 worshippers and includes several spacious halls for celebrations, events and Quranic schools.
El-Sisi also inspected the new capital’s House of Representatives headquarters, which is slated to be the largest in the Middle East with its main hall accommodating up to 1,000 members.
Attached to the headquarters are several service buildings which include a house of worship, a medical centre, a police centre, a media centre and others.
He also inspected the new capital’s government district, which will be home to the Cabinet’s headquarters, ministries and other government bodies.
El-Sisi also toured the People’s Square, which has the highest flagpole in the world.
In 2015, Egypt started construction on the New Administrative Capital 45km east of Cairo as part of the government's plan to reduce pressure on an overpopulated 20-million strong capital, expand urban areas and develop the infrastructure of the 104 million nation.
The New Administrative Capital, which is being built over 714 square kilometres by tens of thousands of workers, will be home to a government housing district, 29 ministries and other state institutions – including the cabinet and parliament buildings – and 20 residential neighbourhoods that can accommodate 6.5 million people.
Government offices were due to be relocated to the mega-city in 2020, but the step was delayed to this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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