El-Sisi made his remarks during a meeting in which he followed up on the construction progress of projects undertaken by the Armed Forces’ Engineering Authority nationwide, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement issued on Tuesday evening.

Amir Sayed Ahmed, the presidential adviser for urban planning; Ehab El-Far, the head of the Armed Forces’ Engineering Authority; and a host of other senior officials attended the meeting.

During the meeting, the president was briefed on the latest developments regarding the construction of the NAC’s new facilities, including the architectural designs for the murals and halls of the Islamic Cultural Centre, and the internal and external designs of the Dar El-Quran Hall at Misr Mosque.

He was also brought up to speed on the latest developments regarding the completion of the new, gigantic projects of an international equestrian city and zoo in the NAC, which will be a match to their prestigious counterparts around the world, the statement said.

El-Sisi instructed that the concerned bodies implement stylish high-class engineering designs for the main roads, corridors, and entry points of the NAC to be in harmony with the new capital’s construction philosophy as a beacon in the establishment of a modern state and new republic.

The president has deemed the inauguration of the NACa declaration of “a new republic” and “a new era of modern governmental work.”

The construction of the 700-square-kilometre new capital is an integral component of Egypt’s 2030 Vision that aims to improve the quality of life of citizens and expand urban areas to cater to Egypt’s rapidly growing population.

In December, the Cabinet held its first meeting in the NAC as an initial step in the country’s plan to gradually relocate government institutions — including both houses of Parliament, public agencies, and universities, as well as the headquarters of various businesses — to the new capital.

The soft opening of the NAC is set to take place in mid-2022, according to Khaled El-Husseini, the spokesperson of the New Administrative Capital for Urban Development Company.

The Decent Life Initiative

The meeting also tackled the engineering authority’s contributions to the country-focused Decent Life Initiative, the statement noted.

The president reviewed the efforts to upgrade infrastructure and build new government service complexes, youth centres, and healthcare units within the framework of the initiative.

The first phase of the Decent Life Initiative, which was launched experimentally in 2019 by El-Sisi, started in July 2021.

The initiative aims to improve standards of living, infrastructure, and basic services, including health care across the countryside. It covers 4,658 villages across the country, which are home to 58 percent of Egypt’s 102.75-million-strong population, with an estimated budget of EGP 700 billion (About $44.6 billion).

According to the statement, the initiative will achieve a significant shift in the living conditions of rural residents, who represent more than half of the population.

El-Sisi also reviewed the work pace in the national project to improve road networks all over the country, especially in the Greater Cairo area.

Finally, the president reviewed the engineering authority’s efforts to glean the maximum benefit from unused plots of land inside cities and districts nationwide.