Built in the heart of the desert, the "Golden Gate" is a collection of infrastructures that will turn Al Masa, Egypt's new administrative capital, into a true smart city based on technology and sustainability. At a total cost of 500 million Egyptian pounds ($26 million), the first phase of the project will be delivered by June 2024.
In Egypt, the “Golden Gate” is under construction in the city of Al Masa, 45 km from Cairo. The project, implemented by the industrial group Redcon Construction through its subsidiary Rocc, aims to develop a smart city where connectivity and sustainable development meet in the new Egyptian administrative capital. The project covers an area of 160,000 m2 and includes the construction of offices, shopping centres and several green housing units in five districts.
According to Hesham Moussa, Rocc’s managing director, each facility will be equipped with an artificial intelligence (AI) system, including visual screens inside the car parks and three-dimensional (3D) cameras for facial recognition of customers for security. These digital solutions will eventually save 30-40% on electricity and water consumption, the Cairo-based company said.
Rocc’s chairman also announced the introduction of charging stations for electric cars in the Golden Gate. In addition, “shuttles have been arranged to transport visitors to the two nearest monorail stations to reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with the project. We are proud to follow the global trend towards creating smart communities based on new economic development opportunities including local labour, digital transformation, and efficiency,” says Tarek El-Gammal.
Focus on sustainability
With its 2052 vision, Egypt intends to double the urban area from 7 to 14% through the development of 61 cities, 24 of which will be sustainable. It is within this framework that the French group Schneider Electric partnered in May 2022 with the real estate company Tatweer Misr to implement three smart city projects in Galala in the governorate of Suez, Fouka Bay and D-Bay on the northern coast, and Bloomfields in Mostakbal, in the governorate of Giza. Tatweer Misr will use its iTWO platform to bridge the gap between the real and the virtual and provide building information modelling and operational costing for these real estate projects.
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According to the Egyptian authorities, these various investments will ultimately enable the ecological transition in this North African country. “The road to a green future starts in our cities. The government is paving the way for inclusive and resilient infrastructure through urban development based on sustainability,” explained the Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation, Rania Al-Mashat. She was speaking against the backdrop of preparations for the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 27), which is being held in the seaside city of Sharm-el Sheikh in November 2022.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi
