China is building a new Egyptian capital in the desert under its Belt and Road Initiative

Builders from the China State Construction Engineering Corporation are nearing completion of what will be the tallest building in Africa – the 78-storey Iconic Tower in Egypt’s yet to be named new capital. The skyscraper is part of a US$3 billion investment deal by China to build the central business district of a new “smart city”, which will eventually house 6.5 million people in Egypt’s new capital. It is the largest development project under China’s global infrastructure development strategy, the Belt and Road Initiative.