The new £44bn mega-city in the middle of the desert with Africa's tallest tower

is one of the fastest developing continents on the planet right now. There are a lot of currently underway on the - and one of them involves building a new £44billion in the middle of the desert. The project is called the New Administrative Capital of Egypt, and it's one of the most ambitious in the country's history.

Located around 30 miles east of , the city is being constructed on empty desert land. Once complete, it is expected to house more than six million people and become new administrative centre. According to , over 1,500 families have already moved in, and thousands of government workers now commute there each day. By the end of 2024, officials expected the population to rise to 10,000 residents.

The city will be home to Egypt's presidential palace, parliament, government ministries, and a huge financial district.

It also includes the Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in Africa, and a new sports complex with a stadium that can hold 93,000 people.

But the biggest landmark is the Iconic Tower - a massive skyscraper in the city's business district.

At almost 400 metres tall, it is Africa's tallest building, according to the . It has 77 floors, mostly for office use, and towers above the other 20 buildings being constructed nearby.

The mega-city is part of the Egypt Vision 2030 plan, launched by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Officials say the goal is to relieve pressure on Cairo, which has over 22 million people and some of the worst congestion in the world.

But critics have raised concerns about the cost. The first phase alone cost around £8.4 billion, and the full project is expected to hit £44 billion, according to .

Some have questioned why so much is being spent while Egypt faces economic challenges.

Still, the developers say the city is designed for the future. Chairman Khaled Abbas, from the Administrative Capital for Urban Development, says it will be a smart city with AI-powered infrastructure, 5G, and high-tech security systems.

He believes it could become a model for other countries in Africa.

Photos of the mega-city show huge public spaces and modern buildings already in place.

Photographer Johan Blasberg described the city as "monumental" and said the scale made him feel "small and insignificant".

"It's not built on a human scale," he told . "Walking from one end of the main park to the other takes nearly an hour."

There are also plans for a massive green space, dubbed the Green River, which will be twice the size of New York's Central Park, though questions have been raised over how it will be maintained in such a dry area.

Over 70% of the structural works are believed to be finished already, with the second phase currently underway. Construction is expected to continue until at least 2027.