The New Administrative Capital (NAC) (Arabic: العاصمة الإدارية الجديدة, romanized: al-ʿĀṣima al-ʾIdārīya al-Jadīda) is an emerging urban development in the Cairo Governorate, Egypt, serving as a satellite of Cairo City. Intended to be Egypt’s new capital, construction has been underway since 2015, announced by then-housing minister Mostafa Madbouly at the Egypt Economic Development Conference on March 13, 2015. The project is a cornerstone of Egypt Vision 2030, aimed at driving economic growth.
The new capital remains unnamed, with a public competition launched to select a name and logo. A jury of specialists is evaluating the submissions, but no official results have been announced yet. Transportation Minister Kamel al-Wazir suggested names such as “Wedian” (meaning “Riverbed” or “Valley”) and “Masr” (the Arabic word for “Egypt”) in October 2021. Other proposed names include “Kemet,” “Al Mustaqbal,” and “Al Salam.”
Situated 45 kilometers (28 miles) east of Cairo, just outside the Second Greater Cairo Ring Road, and halfway to the seaport city of Suez, the new city is designed to serve as Egypt’s new administrative and financial hub, hosting government offices, ministries, and foreign embassies. Spanning 700 square kilometers (270 sq mi), it is expected to accommodate 6.5 million residents, potentially rising to seven million. The initiative aims to alleviate congestion in Cairo, a city with a metropolitan population nearing 20 million.