Egypt unveils ‘Jirian': Ambitious new desert city with artificial Nile channel promises three million homes, jobs boom
CAIRO, June 2 — Egypt on Sunday unveiled plans for a vast new urban development west of Cairo where a man-made channel of the River Nile will eventually wind through what was once arid desert.
The new city, named Jirian meaning 'Flow' in Arabic, is part of Egypt's Nile Delta scheme, a massive agricultural initiative aiming to reclaim about 2.5 million acres west of the original Nile Delta.
The ambitious agricultural project, which started in 2021, seeks to boost production of strategic crops such as wheat and corn while reducing the North African country's food import bill.
The project is the latest in a string of megaprojects launched by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in recent years, including a new administrative capital east of Cairo.
While officials say these projects are key to Egypt's long-term growth, they have also contributed to the country's soaring foreign debt, which quadrupled since 2015 to reach US$155.2 billion (RM660 billion) by late 2024.
The country has also received billions of dollars from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union to ensure its financial stability, with the EU pledging billions more last month.
At a launch event on Sunday, Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli called the Jirian project 'an urban and development revolution'.
He added that it would create 250,000 jobs and serve as the cornerstone of a wider development zone equivalent in size to four to five governorates.
'We are talking about full-spectrum development,' he told reporters, describing a sprawling urban zone that will include industry, logistics hubs and homes for 'between 2.5 and 3 million families'.
The government did not disclose the total cost of the project which is being developed in partnership with three major Egyptian real estate firms.
The new Nile Delta project comes at a time when Egypt is already under pressure to secure its water future.
With 97 per cent of its fresh water sourced from the Nile, the country has been locked in a years-long dispute with Addis Ababa over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which Cairo fears could reduce downstream water flows.
Developers said that a canal connected to the Nile will run through the heart of the 1,680-acre Jirian city, occupying a fifth of its total area and serving both as a scenic centrepiece and an irrigation source for surrounding farmland.
The project will feature luxury residences, 80-storey skyscrapers, international universities and hospitals, an eco-friendly hotel, commercial zones as well as a cultural and media district, they added.
It will also lie just minutes away from the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is due to fully open in July, the Giza Pyramids and nearby Sphinx international airport.
Construction began five months ago and is expected to be completed within five years, according to the project's developers. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Bank Negara's international reserves edge up to US$119.9bil
KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara's international reserves rose to US$119.9bil as at June 13 compared with US$119.6bil as at May 30. 'The reserves position is sufficient to finance 5.0 months of imports of goods and services, and is 0.9 times the total short-term external debt,' the central bank said in a statement. The main components of the reserves were foreign currency reserves (US$106.7bil), the International Monetary Fund reserves position (US$1.3bil), special drawing rights (US$5.8bil), gold (US$3.8bil) and other reserve assets (US$2.3bil).
New Straits Times
6 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Bank Negara's international reserves rise to US$119.9bil
KUALA LUMPUR: The international reserves of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) increased marginally to US$119.9 billion (US$1=RM4.24) as at June 13, 2025, from US$119.60 billion recorded as at May 30, 2025. In a statement today, the central bank said the reserves position is sufficient to finance 5.0 months of imports of goods and services, and is 0.9 times the total short-term external debt. The main components of the reserves were foreign currency reserves (US$106.7 billion), the International Monetary Fund reserve position (US$1.3 billion), special drawing rights (SDRs) (US$5.8 billion), gold (US$3.8 billion) and other reserve assets (US$2.3 billion). Total assets amounted to RM630.55 billion, comprising gold and foreign exchange and other reserves, including SDRs (RM531.12 billion), Malaysian government papers (RM12.91 billion), deposits with financial institutions (RM4.26 million), loans and advances (RM27.08 billion), land and buildings (RM4.58 billion), and other assets (RM50.57 billion). BNM said total capital and liabilities amounted to RM630.55 billion, comprising paid-up capital (RM100 million), reserves (RM194.93 billion), currency in circulation (RM172.73 billion), deposits by financial institutions (RM127.93 billion), federal government deposits (RM10.53 billion), other deposits (RM82.23 billion), Bank Negara papers (RM10.55 billion), allocation of SDRs (RM28.38 billion), and other liabilities (RM3.13 billion).
New Straits Times
9 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Anwar: Reforms paying off as Malaysia rises in global rankings
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today highlighted Malaysia's improving economic trajectory, citing robust growth, lower unemployment, and renewed investor confidence. He attributed these positive developments to a series of fiscal reforms and targeted policies, while firmly dismissing allegations of economic mismanagement by the government. Speaking at the Finance Ministry's monthly assembly, he said the latest data told a story of recovery, reform, and resilience. Malaysia has climbed 11 spots to rank 23rd in the 2025 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking — its highest position since 2020 — with notable gains in economic performance, government efficiency, and business competitiveness. The country's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 5.1 per cent in 2024, exceeding the 3.5 per cent recorded in 2023 and surpassing official projections. The unemployment rate fell to 3 per cent in April 2025 — the lowest in a decade. The ringgit also posted significant gains, emerging as one of Asia's top-performing currencies. It appreciated by 5.2 per cent against the US dollar and strengthened against regional currencies such as the Indonesian rupiah and Chinese renminbi. Anwar said that Malaysia's fiscal reforms had received commendation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which described the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2023 as a major milestone. The fiscal deficit has been reduced from 5.5 per cent in 2022 to 4.1 per cent in 2024, with a target of 3.8 per cent for 2025. Federal borrowing has also decreased, with new debt issuance falling from RM100 billion in 2022 to RM85 billion in 2024. This, Anwar said, had enabled the government to sustain public services while maintaining fiscal discipline. He stressed that the reforms were undertaken without placing undue burden on the public. The government had broadened the tax base and restructured subsidies to ensure more effective support and service delivery. Eighty-five per cent of households were unaffected by electricity tariff adjustments, while diesel subsidies for logistics vehicles were maintained to prevent a knock-on effect on prices. Inflation remained contained at 1.8 per cent in 2024. The adjustment to the Sales and Service Tax (SST), effective from July 1, excludes essential goods. Analysts have forecast only a marginal inflationary impact of 0.25 per cent. With improved fiscal space, the government has been able to boost allocations for public assistance and essential services. A record RM13 billion was channelled to the SARA and STR cash aid programmes this year, benefiting nine million recipients. Funding for education and healthcare was also raised to RM64 billion and RM45 billion, respectively. "This nation inherited a burdensome fiscal structure — ballooning debt, a narrow revenue base, and untargeted subsidies that disproportionately benefited the wealthy and foreign nationals. "Whether we liked it or not, reform was essential. Since the Madani government took office, we have embraced bold, corrective policies to restore our fiscal foundation and uplift the people's lives," he said.
