JUST 10 YEARS AGO ON GOOGLE MAPS THIS WAS ALL DESERT. I'VE JUST STEPPED ON A 60 BILLION DOLLAR
BET EGYPT IS BUILDING A MASSIVE NEW CITY FROM SCRATCH. AND I FEEL LIKE I'M IN A SIMULATION
OR COMPUTER GAME. I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS I MEAN YOU LITERALLY SEE TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF HOMES BEING BUILT FROM THE GROUND UP NOT A SINGLE RESIDENT NOT A SINGLE CAR NOT A SINGLE
PERSON ACTUALLY LIVING HERE BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE GETTING READY FOR A MASSIVE MASSIVE
NEW BEGINNING. THE NEW CITY IS EXPECTED TO BE LARGER THAN SINGAPORE. AND HOME TO 7 MILLION
PEOPLE .THIS IS BEING FUELED BY THE AMBITIONS OF EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT LCC BUT CRITICS SAY THIS IS WAY
OVERBOARD SEE IN THE PAST SIX YEARS ALONE THE IMF HAS GIVEN AGENT THREE LOANS TOTALING 20 BILLION
DOLLARS BUT YOU CAN SEE WHY THIS CAPITAL IS A NECESSARY MOVE BECAUSE CAIRO IS CROWDED 20 MILLION
PEOPLE LIVE IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA CAIRO IS THE LARGEST CITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND IN THE ARAB
WORLD LIKE MANY COUNTRIES MANY PEOPLE ARE FROM HERE BUT ALSO MANY PEOPLE HAVE MOVED HERE WITH
HOPES OF BETTER JOBS AND BETTER LIVES BUT IN THE PROCESS IT'S TURNED THIS CAPITAL INTO A POLLUTED
CHAOTIC CITY EGYPT'S ENTIRE POPULATION HAS DOUBLED IN JUST THE PAST 30 YEARS TODAY IT'S 105
MILLION PEOPLE BUT IT'S EXPECTED TO SOAR TO 160 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE NEXT 30 YEARS THIS HAS SOME
COUNTRIES LIKE JAPAN ARE ACTUALLY SEEING A DECLINE IN POPULATION SO NOW THE GOVERNMENT IS MOVING
ITS CAPITAL CITY TO AN ENTIRELY NEW PLACE AND LITERALLY BUILDING THIS IT'S A CITY FROM SCRATCH
BUT HOW DO YOU BUILD A CITY OUT OF NOTHING FOR 7 MILLION PEOPLE
THE POLLUTION HERE IS REALLY REALLY QUITE CRAZY EVERY DAY WHEN I GO HOME TO MY HOTEL AT THE END
OF THE DAY AND I TAKE A SHOWER I JUST SEE BLACK WATER COMING OFF OF MY SKIN BEFORE I HEAD TO THE
NEW CAPITAL CITY IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WELL IT'S CURRENT CAPITAL IT'S REALLY QUITE CRAZY AND
IT ALSO I GOOGLED IT POLLUTION MAKES YOU QUITE FATIGUED I'VE BEEN WANTING TO SLEEP LIKE NINE
HOURS A NIGHT BECAUSE MY BODY'S JUST NOT USED TO THIS POLLUTION IT'S IT'S REALLY UNFORTUNATE TENS
OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE LIVING IN SUCH A POLLUTED CITY THE POLLUTION IN CAIRO IS 11 TIMES THE
LIMIT THAT WAS DETERMINED BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION AND WITH THAT MUCH POLLUTION COMES
A LOT OF HEALTH RISKS THE REASON FOR SUCH BAD POLLUTION IS A MIX OF THINGS YOU HAVE ENERGY USED
BY HOMES THE CARS MANUFACTURING AND POWER PLANTS IT ALL CAUSES THIS DARK HAZE THAT MIGHT SEEM LIKE
A CLOUDY DAY BUT IT'S ACTUALLY JUST POLLUTION BEHIND ME IS THE U.S EMBASSY IN CAIRO BUT NOT FOR
LONG WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING IS THAT I'VE WALKED THE FULL PERIMETER OF THE US EMBASSY ACCORDING TO
GOOGLE MAP AND THERE'S NOT A SINGLE PLACE WHERE IT WILL LABEL ITSELF AS THE U.S EMBASSY OR NOT
A SINGLE U.S FLAG AND THIS IS ALL DELIBERATE I HAVE TO IMAGINE IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS IT'S
NOT REALLY MEANT TO BE KNOWN WHERE THE US EMBASSY IS OR U.S GOVERNMENT DOESN'T WANT IMAGES TO BE
SEEN OF PEOPLE PROTESTING OUTSIDE OF THE U.S FLAG OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT THE U.S EMBASSY IS MASSIVE
IT TAKES UP LIKE MULTIPLE STREET BLOCKS BEHIND ME AND SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT ONCE THIS EMBASSY
AND MANY OTHER EMBASSIES THAT ARE HERE MOVE TO THE NEW AREA IT'S GOING TO CREATE A LOT OF SPACE
FOR NEW HOUSING AND NEW OFFICES SO YOU'VE GOT THE U.S EMBASSY BEHIND ME YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF
DIFFERENT EMBASSIES AROUND THIS AREA AND YOU HAVE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS YOU HAVE THE OPERA HOUSE THIS
IS THE HEART OF CAIRO YOU HAVE SO MANY BUILDINGS HERE AND YOU CAN SEE WHY IT WOULD BE SO CONGESTED
BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SPACE FOR CARS THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PARKING PLACES THERE'S NOT
EVEN REALLY SIDEWALKS IN HALF OF THESE AREAS I'M WALKING IN THIS STREET IS LINED UP WITH BUILDING
AFTER BUILDING SO MANY DIFFERENT MINISTRIES ARE HERE THE TRAFFIC IS CRAZY CONSTANT CONGESTION
CONSTANT HONKING YOU CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO TO MOVE THIS CAPITAL HERE BEHIND ME IS THE
ITALIAN EMBASSY AND IT'S CRAZY HOW MUCH TRAFFIC IT ADDS BECAUSE YOU HAVE BARRICADES OF SECURITY THAT
ARE OUTSIDE THE EMBASSY THE EMBASSIES ARE JUST HALF THE BATTLE YOU HAVE THE EMBASSY BUT THEN
YOU HAVE ALL THE SECURITY IN THE BARRICADES THAT EXTEND OUTSIDE OF THE EMBASSY AND THAT ONLY ADDS
TO CONGESTION [MUSIC] SO NOW THAT I'VE EXPLORED CAIRO I'M GOING TO THE NEW ADMINISTRATIVE CAPITAL
IT'S ABOUT A ONE-HOUR DRIVE I'M IN AN UBER AND I'M REALLY CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE ARE
PEOPLE REALLY EMBRACING THIS NEW AREA IS IT MUCH MORE MODERN AND CLEAN THAN CAIRO [MUSIC]
CRAZY YOU SEE MORE CONSTRUCTION TRUCKS THAN UH REGULAR CARS YOU SEE MORE OIL TANKERS AND
TRUCKS THAT ARE BRINGING RAW MATERIALS THAN YOU ACTUALLY SEE CARS LITERALLY SEE THOUSANDS
OF BOMBS HERE THOUSANDS OF LOANS AND THEY'RE ALL BRAND NEW I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING QUITE LIKE IT
WOULD YOU CONSIDER MOVING HERE FOR A JOB YOU THINK THE WAGES WILL BE BETTER THE SALARY
THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO OPEN BETWEEN 2020 AND 2022 BUT CLEARLY THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN EGYPT IS
NOW HOPING TO PULL OFF THIS BIG MOVE DESPITE BEING AT THE MIDST OF AN ECONOMIC CRISIS THE
EGYPTIAN POUND IS FALLING AND EGYPT IS GETTING LOANS WORTH 20 BILLION DOLLARS FROM THE IMF BUT
THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS ASIDE FOR A MINUTE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO SEE THE GRAND AMBITIONS
PLANS AND EVEN EXCITED VISION BEHIND PLANNING A MEGA CITY FROM LITERALLY DIRT I THINK IT'S QUITE
SMART THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE BUILDING THIS MONORAIL THAT CAN BRING YOU FROM CAIRO TO HERE
BECAUSE THEY'VE LEARNED THEIR LESSON RIGHT THEY DON'T WANT TRAFFIC NOT EVERYONE SHOULD BE HAVING
A CAR THE MOST EFFICIENT CITIES ARE ONES WITH REALLY GOOD PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEMS SO NOW THIS IS
THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD A PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM URBAN PLANNING EVERYTHING FROM TOTAL SCRATCH SO IT
LOOKS LIKE THIS IS GOING TO BE A MASSIVE OFFICE PARK AND THEY'RE ALREADY STARTING TO COME UP WITH
SIGNAGE OVER HERE IS GOING TO BE LIKE A MASSIVE BUSINESS PARK IT SEEMS THEY'RE ALREADY STARTING TO
ADD THE SIGN SO OVER THERE YOU CAN SEE IN IN THE DISTANCE THAT'S GOING TO BE A BANK OF CAIRO JUST
10 YEARS AGO ON GOOGLE MAPS THIS WAS ALL DESERT MAYBE EVEN FIVE YEARS AGO AND NOW YOU'RE REALLY
STARTING TO SEE IT POP UP WITH A LOT OF THINGS FROM THE HOTEL THAT I'M STAYING AT TO THE OPERA
HOUSE AND UNIVERSITIES I'M STAYING REALLY CLOSE TO ALL THESE UNIVERSITIES YOU SEE FROM UNIVERSITY
OF CANADA EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY IN EGYPT PURDUE UNIVERSITY IS GOING TO OPEN UP A CAMPUS HERE
GERMAN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY THEY'RE REALLY GOING TO CREATE LIKE AREA FOR THE UNIVERSITIES ALL
IN ONE PLACE WHICH IS WHICH IS QUITE INTERESTING AND QUITE EXCITING AND WHAT'S REALLY FUNNY IS
BECAUSE THERE'S NOT REALLY ANY CONTEXT OR SCALE FOR ME SO AS I'M WALKING I DON'T REALLY KNOW LIKE
IT LOOKS LIKE FROM HERE TO HERE IS A 10 MINUTE WALK THERE'S NO STREET BLOCKS THERE'S NO REFERENCE
POINTS BECAUSE THERE'S LITERALLY NOTHING HERE IT'S JUST LIKE OPEN OPEN AIR IT'S STILL A LOT OF DIRT
AND BUILDINGS WITH NOBODY THERE SO I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A 10 MINUTE WALK AND THEN LATER I FOUND
OUT NO IT'S GOING TO BE MORE LIKE A ONE-HOUR WALK THIS IS GOING TO BE THE NEW CENTER FOR
ARTS AND CULTURE AND MUSEUMS WHILE THE CAPITAL CITY KEEPS GETTING DELAYED IN OPENING THE ONLY
FOOD FOR A 30 MINUTE RADIUS IS LOCATED HERE IN THIS LUXURY HOTEL THE SAINT REGIS I MEAN THERE'S
LITERALLY NO OTHER RESTAURANTS TO EAT IN THIS IS A HOTEL WHERE DEVELOPERS AND INVESTORS STAY
OR EVEN LIVE FOR NOW AS THEY PLAN FOR THE NEW CITY'S OPENING HERE IN CAIRO A HOTEL LIKE THE
FOUR SEASONS COULD COST YOU FOUR OR FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS A NIGHT BUT THIS SAINT REGIS IN THE MIDDLE
OF NOWHERE IS ONLY LIKE A HUNDRED DOLLARS A NIGHT I'M GOING INSIDE OUT MASA CAPITAL THIS IS PRETTY
MUCH THE ONLY THING THAT HAS BEEN OPEN RIGHT NOW AND INSIDE IT'S A SAINT REGIS HOTEL WITH
THREE RESTAURANTS BUT ASIDE FROM THAT THERE ARE NO OTHER RESTAURANTS THAT YOU CAN EAT AT
IT'S JUST THIS HOTEL AND WHO'S STAYING AT THIS HOTEL MOSTLY INVESTORS PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE TO
BUY REAL ESTATE TO BUY APARTMENTS TO BUILD HOMES WHAT IS BEHIND THESE GATES A SAINT REGIS HOTEL A
CONFERENCE CENTER AND EVENTUALLY IT'S GOING TO BE A MALL I'M GONNA GO CHECK THAT OUT IN A LITTLE BIT
THIS SAINT REGIS IS ALSO WHERE PRESIDENT OF EGYPT HAS BEEN STAYING WHEN HE'S BEEN VISITING THE NEW
CAPITAL BEFORE OF COURSE HE WILL MOVE HERE AND EVENTUALLY HAVE HIS OWN PALACE BEHIND ME IS A
CONFERENCE HALL RELATED TO THE SAINT REGIS OVER THERE YOU HAVE A MALL YOU HAVE THE CONFERENCE HALL
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE HOTEL OVER HERE OVERALL FINAL THOUGHTS I THINK IT'S REALLY SMART WHAT
THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING I THINK IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO MOVE THE CAPITAL NOT JUST TO EXPAND THE
CITY BUT TO MOVE IT PRETTY FAR AWAY IT'S OVER AN HOUR DRIVE AND I THINK THAT WAS REALLY SMART IF
YOU LOOK AT THE US OUR CAPITAL USED TO BE IN NEW YORK THEY MOVED THE CAPITAL TO WASHINGTON DC SO
IT REALLY MAKES SENSE FOR A COUNTRY ESPECIALLY THIS BIG TO HAVE ITS CAPITAL IN A DIFFERENT CITY
THAN ITS ECONOMIC BUSINESS HUB IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO COME BACK IN THREE FOUR OR
FIVE YEARS AND SEE HOW THINGS DEVELOP IT'S JUST SO BIZARRE IT'S LIKE WHEN DO YOU HIT THAT START DATE
WHEN DO YOU PUSH THAT BUTTON AND SAY OKAY MILLION OF YOU COME MOVE IN IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY
INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THE VIBE AND THE CULTURE OF A BRAND NEW CITY DEVELOP IT'S PRETTY EXCITING
AND GOT TO BE HONEST IT'S KIND OF INSPIRING TOO I ALSO MADE A VIDEO ABOUT INDONESIA AND WHY IT'S
MOVING ITS CAPITAL FOR FROM JAKARTA TO BORNEO YOU SHOULD CHECK THAT OUT BUT IN THAT VIDEO A LOT OF
PEOPLE I SPOKE TO WERE REALLY UPSET ABOUT THE MOVE BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE ESSENTIALLY CUTTING
THROUGH A JUNGLE IN ORDER TO BUILD A MASSIVE NEW CITY SO I SEE BOTH SIDES OF THAT DEBATE BUT HERE
IN CAIRO MOST PEOPLE I TALK TO ARE VERY EXCITED THEY'RE VERY SUPPORTIVE THEY'RE VERY PROUD AND
EXCITED FOR WHAT'S TO COME I MEAN IT JUST MAKES SENSE IT'S HARD TO MEET SOMEBODY WHO IS OPPOSED
TO IT AND BECAUSE IT'S A BRAND NEW CITY THEY GET TO START FROM SCRATCH THE URBAN PLANNING
THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS CREATING A MONORAIL INCENTIVIZING PEOPLE TO USE THE MONORAIL HOW DO
YOU CREATE A CITY WHERE YOU INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION LEAVE YOUR CAR AT
HOME AND THINK ABOUT THOSE SUSTAINABILITY ELEMENTS SO I WOULD LOVE TO COME BACK HERE IN A FEW YEARS
AND SEE HOW THINGS PROGRESS BUT LET ME KNOW YOUR COMMENTS BELOW I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR WHAT YOU THINK
ABOUT THIS NEW CAPITAL THIS NEW ADMINISTRATIVE CAPITAL IN CAIRO AND DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE.