Egypt clinches deal to operate utility systems in new capital

Egypt’s Administrative Capital for Urban Development (ACUD) on Wednesday signed an agreement with two companies to supply, operate, and maintain utility systems at the new capital.

The two companies are U.S. Honeywell International and Etisalat Misr, the Egyptian unit of the UAE’s Etisalat.

The deal was signed by Magdy Amin, chairman of real estate sector at ACUD, in the presence of Ahmed Zaki Abdeen, ACUD’s chairman; Khaled Hashem, president for Egypt and Libya at Honeywell; and Hazem Metwally, chief executive at Etisalat Misr.

The deal comes as part of the state-run ACUD’s plan to make the new capital the largest smart city worldwide within the upcoming years, according to Ahmed Zaki Abdeen.

The utilities include electricity, energy, natural gas, and communications.

Located 45 km (28 miles) east of Cairo, the anticipated new capital city is part of the Egyptian government’s plan to expand urban areas to deal with the state’s rapid population growth and improve the nation’s infrastructure.

The large-scale city will be a 270-square-mile hub with 21 residential districts to accommodate five million people.

The new capital is set to feature 1,250 mosques and churches as well as 5,000-seat conference center, nearly 2,000 schools and colleges, over 600 medical facilities, and a park that is projected to be the world’s largest.