Egypt's New Administrative Capital: In pictures | CNN

Egypt is building a new city, known as the "New Administrative Capital," 30 miles east of Cairo. Construction on the 270-square-mile area began in 2016, and once complete it could hold as many as 6.5 million residents. The government says its goal is to bring relief to overcrowded Cairo, but critics believe it is diverting resources from other needs.

The city is home to the tallest building in Africa, the "Iconic Tower," by architects Dar al-Handasah Shair & Partners, which was completed in 2023. Located in the new city's central business district, it stands at an impressive 385 meters (1,263 feet).

The business and finance district is currently under construction. Developers hope it will become a center for African and Middle Eastern trade, with businesses from the wider region moving their global headquarters there.

Government ministries, such as the Ministry of Justice (pictured), have relocated to the new city, with around 48,000 employees working there, according to Khaled Abbas, chairman of the Administrative Capital for Urban Development (ACUD), the company overseeing the project.

The Egyptian parliament will begin directing its meetings from the new city this month, according to Abbas. This photo shows the new headquarters for the Senate, the upper house of the Egyptian Parliament. The building's main hall can accommodate 406 members, as well as meeting rooms and an IT center, emergency clinic, restaurant and car park.

The city also boasts the largest cathedral in the Middle East. "The Cathedral of Nativity" covers an area of 15 acres and its main dome is 40 meters wide and 36 meters high.

A restored ancient Egyptian obelisk of King Ramses II is on display outside the new capital library building (right) and the opera house (left).

The city promises more green space than Cairo and landscaping has begun on the so-called "Green River," a series of parks and waterways amidst the city's recreational zones.