Egypt, Chinese firms to operate, manage largest hospital in new administrative capital

An Egyptian construction company has teamed up with a Chinese firm to operate and manage the largest hospital in the new administrative capital.

Egypt’s Alameda Healthcare Group, Al-Hazeq Construction Company, and China State Construction Engineering Corporation are among the companies to have signed the memorandum of understanding.

In a 2016 meeting with President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, Chinese President Xi Jinping said he wanted to contribute to major projects in Egypt, including the Suez Canal Corridor and the new administrative capital.

The new $45 billion capital is being built in the desert east of Cairo as a solution, authorities say, to ease overcrowding and reduce congestion in the current capital where over 20 million people live.

It has been criticised including by professors who say the money should be spent on improving living conditions in other parts of the country.

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China is spending $3 billion to help build the central business district which will be constructed by China State Construction Engineering Corp. As part of its contribution, the CSCEC is building 20 towers, one of which will be the highest building in Africa.

The CSCEC has constructed several buildings in Egypt over the past decades, including the Cairo International Conference Centre.

Over 1,500 Chinese businesses are registered in Egypt.

Since he became president in 2014 Al-Sisi has visited Beijing six times to consolidate and expand relations between the two countries.

In 2019, China’s investments in Egypt hit roughly $7 billion, showing the country’s determination to deepen relations with Cairo.

There has been a large backlash from human rights advocates over the relationship between Beijing and Cairo as Egypt has been deporting Uyghur Muslims, who have been subject to persecution by authorities in Beijing, back to China.