What to Know About Egypt's New AI‑Powered ‘Cognitive City' Near Cairo
Egypt has launched what developers describe as the country's first fully artificial‑intelligence‑powered "cognitive city," a major new urban development east of Cairo pitched as a global investment hub and described by its developer as an unprecedented step in smart urban development.
The project, known as "The Spine," was unveiled over the weekend by Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG) at an event attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly at the Cabinet headquarters in the New Administrative Capital, according to a company statement.
Developers say the project will serve as a major international business hub and could contribute about one percent of Egypt's gross domestic product once operational.
What it Means for Egypt
Egypt has been seeking new ways to position itself as a regional economic and investment center amid intensifying global competition for capital, jobs, and technology‑driven industries.
TMG describes The Spine as an unprecedented step in smart urban development, presenting it as an integrated economic platform built around artificial‑intelligence‑driven systems.
What To Know About ‘The Spine’
Reuters reported the development will be built as a Special Investment Zone with TMG's Madinaty development, covering roughly 2.4 million square meters and blending residential, commercial, hospitality, retail, entertainment, and green public spaces stretching across a continuous urban landscape.
What Will ‘The Spine’ in Egypt Look Like?
What’s Unique About ‘The Spine’? No Cars, No Emissions
The company says the project is the first "cognitive city" in Egypt and the Middle East designed to rely entirely on artificial intelligence technologies, with self‑learning systems intended to allow the city to interact with and evolve alongside its users.
The website claims that the city will produce zero emissions and be carbon-neutral. As far as technology is concerned, there will and integrated intelligence system within the city that will allow services, spaces, and experiences to be connected in real time. While there won’t be traditional cars, the city claims to be “pedestrian-first,” where visitors and residents can move around the city via an underground mobility system and access driverless rides with “seamless automated access” throughout the city.
TMG said total planned investment is approximately 1.4 trillion Egyptian pounds (about $27 billion), with a paid-up capital vehicle of 69 billion Egyptian pounds in partnership with the National Bank of Egypt.
TMG said the plan includes about 165 towers for residential, business, and commercial use, encircled by extensive green space covering 70 percent of the area.
TMG also stated that the city aims to contribute around 1 percent to Egypt's GDP over time and generate approximately 818 billion Egyptian pounds (US $15.8 billion) in tax revenues, while creating 55,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs.
TMG also said the city will feature what it calls the world's first fully underground logistics network; it added that planning drew on five years of studies with international consultancies in China and Singapore.
Egypt's New Capital
The new city comes amid a broader wave of large‑scale infrastructure projects across the Middle East in recent years-including a new administrative capital in Egypt east of Cairo.
Satellite imagery last year indicated accelerated construction at the new capital, where government functions have relocated since the project launched in 2015.
The new capital includes a 70-story tower described as Africa's tallest, major religious landmarks, and the vast Octagon defense complex.
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This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 1:34 PM.