The New Administrative Capital in Egypt: The Political Economy of the Production of Urban Spaces in Cairo

The New Administrative Capital reshapes Egypt’s urban landscape thoroughly. Nevertheless, empirical research on its political economy and spatial imaginaries is lacking. Building on a political geography framework and extensive qualitative fieldwork, we aim at contrasting official constructions of s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Middle East - Topics & Arguments
Main Authors: Loewert, Patrick, Steiner, Christian
Format: Journal Article
Language:

English
Published: Philipps-Universität Marburg 2019
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Online Access:Online Access
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Summary:The New Administrative Capital reshapes Egypt’s urban landscape thoroughly. Nevertheless, empirical research on its political economy and spatial imaginaries is lacking. Building on a political geography framework and extensive qualitative fieldwork, we aim at contrasting official constructions of space with an analysis of the hidden interests, actions, and power struggles between its main stakeholders. Whereas foreign and private investors are officially key to the project, our analysis demonstrates that state institutions rivaled over its control, providing the military with new rent sources. The location and seize of the new palace indicates a lack of democratic conviction whereas citizen participation is largely missing.
DOI:10.17192/meta.2019.12.7933