Photo taken on May 12, 2022 shows the skyscrapers under construction in the central business district (CBD) of Egypt's new administrative captial. (China State Construction Engineering Corporation/Handout via Xinhua)
CAIRO, May 19 (Xinhua) -- After the last beam was accurately docked atop of a 159-meter skyscraper, the structural work of all the 20 towers in a high-rise complex was finished in the central business district (CBD) of Egypt's new administrative captial.
"The construction of the towers, including the 385-meter-high Iconic Tower, the tallest building in Africa, was implemented in cooperation with the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC)," the Egyptian Ministry of Housing said in a statement on Thursday.
Photo taken on May 18, 2022 shows the topping-out ceremony of D04 in the central business district (CBD) of Egypt's new administrative capital. (China State Construction Engineering Corporation via Xinhua)
"Finishing work of the towers' facades and interior design is underway," it added.
Building the skyscraper complex along with Chinese partner enabled Egypt to "benefit from the great experiences of the world's leading companies in the field of construction," Khaled Abbas, deputy minister of housing, utilities and urban communities, said on Wednesday.
The construction has helped Egyptian engineers and workers in honing their skills, Abbas told the topping-out ceremony of D04, the last tower of the sprawling project.
The CBD project covers an area of approximately 505,000 square meters, featuring high-rise residential units and public squares, coupled with municipal projects.
"The CBD project is a model of strong and fruitful cooperation between the Egyptian and the Chinese sides throughout its entire process. The mutual collaboration helped in overcoming several problems and challenges driven by the COVID-19 pandemic," Abbas added.
Chang Weicai, general manager of CSCEC Egypt, thanked Egyptian and Chinese workers for their concerted efforts devoted into the project.
"Being attentive to localization and cooperation with the Egyptian firms is a part of our company's development strategy," he said, adding that the CBD project is a flagship project of Egyptian-Chinese business cooperation.
Nearly 160 Egyptian and Chinese guests, including workers, engineers, proprietors and officials, attended the ceremony.
Being built some 50 km east of the Egyptian capital Cairo, Egypt's new administrative capital is designed to relocate major governmental institutions from the increasingly congested and overpopulated capital city of Cairo, which is home to about one-fifth of the country's 100 million population.
The Egyptian government also expects the new capital to create around 2 million job opportunities. ■
