**Egypt’s New Administrative Capital: A Lavish Ghost City in the Desert**

In a bold and controversial move, Egypt is pouring resources into the construction of a sprawling new administrative capital, dubbed the New Administrative Capital (NAC), located 45 kilometers east of Cairo. This ambitious project, initiated in 2016, aims to accommodate millions, yet raises pressing questions about its true purpose and the implications for the Egyptian populace.

Spanning an area comparable to Singapore, the NAC is designed to house around 6 to 12 million people, but as construction progresses, many of its lavish features—including Africa’s largest mosque and an Olympic-sized stadium—remain eerily devoid of inhabitants. With Cairo grappling with severe overcrowding, poverty, and a housing crisis affecting over 60% of its citizens, critics argue that the NAC is more about consolidating governmental power than providing relief.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s Vision 2030 project claims to address Cairo’s challenges by relocating government functions to the NAC. However, the move seems strategically timed to distance authorities from the masses, especially in a country where protests erupted in Tahrir Square not long ago. With Egypt’s military controlling a significant portion of the project’s funding and development, concerns mount over transparency and accountability.

As the Egyptian pound falters and public investment dwindles, the NAC’s $58 billion price tag raises eyebrows. While officials insist no treasury funds are being used, the reality is far murkier, with state-backed loans fueling the project. Meanwhile, the city’s design, characterized by isolation and surveillance, hints at a future where dissent is stifled, echoing the dark patterns seen in other authoritarian regimes.

With only a fraction of the projected population currently residing in the NAC, the question looms: will this grand vision become a vibrant metropolis, or a ghost city, a monument to misallocated priorities? As construction continues, the world watches closely, questioning whether this megacity will truly serve the people of Egypt or merely entrench the powers that be.