Egypt to build city on artificial island to protect Alexandria
The plans for the first city on an artificial island in the Mediterranean Sea represent a bid to mitigate the devastating effects of climate change on the Delta.
CAIRO — During a meeting with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Nov. 15, senior Egyptian officials discussed the establishment of the first-of-its-kind city called “New Abu Qir” on an artificial island off the coast of Alexandria in the Mediterranean.
The meeting came on the sidelines of the UN climate summit COP27 that Egypt hosted in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh from Nov. 6 to Nov. 18.
Preparations on the new city coincide with reports that the Nile Delta region is sinking amid rising sea levels due to climate change. According to the reports, the city of Alexandria is also threatened with disappearance by drowning or erosion.
The New Abu Qir city will be the first Egyptian city entirely built on an artificial island, extending over 1,400 acres in the sea, and include a series of high-rise towers. Plans also call for the largest commercial port on the Mediterranean.
