While Egypt’s economy has stumbled due to the coronavirus outbreak, construction at a new capital taking shape east of Cairo is continuing at full throttle after a short pause to adjust working practices, officials say. The level of activity at the desert site – where trucks rumble down newly built roads and cranes swing over unfinished apartment blocks – reflects the new city’s political importance even as the government grapples with the pandemic. Known as the New Administrative Capital, it is the biggest of a series of mega-projects championed by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as a source of growth and jobs. Soon after coronavirus began to spread, Sisi postponed moving the first civil servants to the new city and moved back the opening of a national museum adjoining the pyramids to next year. Productivity dipped as companies adapted to health guidelines and some labourers stayed home. But officials have sought to keep the mega-projects going to protect jobs, and after 10 days of slowdown construction had fully resumed at the new capital with a shift system, said Amr Khattab, spokesman for the Housing Ministry, which along with the military owns the company building the city.
SOURCE: REUTERS AFRICA
More Stories
Establishing Manufacturing Nodes across the Continent and Leveraging on the AfCFTA
The Agritech Innovators Bringing Transformative Change to the Continent’s Green Economy
Women in Nigeria Lead the Charge in Plastic Waste Innovation
Tunisia’s President is Looking for Ways to Avoid a Bailout Package Worth nearly $2bn
A Decision that Brought Lagos to a Standstill
The European Union Engages African Nations to Secure the Supply of Vital Battery Minerals
The Unintended Consequence of Lusaka’s Decision to Allow Partial Withdrawal of Pensions
Ghana’s Economy and its IMF Engagements
Addis Ababa is Likely to Require a more Comprehensive Package of Debt Restructuring
Kenya’s Central Bank Parks Digital Currency Talk
One of Africa’s Most-celebrated Authors and Playwrights has Died Aged 81
Ethiopian Airliner Accused of Discrimination