Egypt presents project for new city in desert

Egypt has officially launched Jirian, a visionary new city set to rise from the desert west of Cairo, where a man-made channel of the Nile River will flow through its core. The project is part of the broader New Nile Delta project, an ambitious national plan to reclaim 2.5 million acres of desert for agricultural and urban use. This is reported by Sada El-Balad, a partner of TV BRICS.

Announced during a high-profile event attended by Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Jirian – meaning “flow” in Arabic – is being hailed as a revolutionary model of integrated development. The Prime Minister described the project as “an urban and development revolution,” highlighting its potential to generate 250,000 jobs and house 2.5 to 3 million families.

Covering approximately 6.8 million square meters, Jirian will feature more than 20,000 residential units, extensive green spaces, and commercial zones. Plans include global hotels, international universities, a major hospital, a media city, and recreational areas. Roughly 20 per cent of the city's area will be covered by water features, including a Nile-fed artificial channel stretching across the city, while 30 per cent is designated for green landscapes.

The new city is also expected to include an economic free zone, a heritage-inspired commercial district, and smart infrastructure, making it Egypt’s first large-scale eco-friendly smart city. It is being developed in partnership with three major domestic real estate firms, under the supervision of national planning and sustainable development authorities.

Jirian is part of Egypt's strategy to strengthen food security by increasing production of staple crops such as wheat and corn, reducing dependence on imports, and revitalising rural and urban areas.