Smart Cards Transform Cairo Transport as Egypt Expands Tech Infrastructure

Egypt has finished 24 smart cities and plans 38 by 2050, with the New Administrative Capital 45 km east of Cairo already operating as the main example of these changes for everyday users.

Transport and security tools reach residents now

Cairo's original smart city work includes 10 quick-win projects that give residents direct access to new systems. The T-Money transport cards let people pay for buses and trains without cash, while an integrated smart CCTV network covers traffic and public areas. Public WiFi and smart cards appear in the New Administrative Capital, which covers 700 sq km and will house 6.5 million people once complete.

These features matter because Egypt launched its National Smart Cities Strategy in 2016 to place 40 million people in intelligent urban spaces by 2050. The New Administrative Capital project began in 2015 at an estimated $58 billion cost and already includes more than 6,000 CCTV cameras plus a 90 sq km solar farm that supplies power to new districts.

Additional projects extend the reach

A separate $27 billion mixed-use development called The Spine is under construction east of Cairo and adds 5G connectivity, smart home systems and centralized cooling that cuts energy use by nearly 30 percent. Cairo's quick-win list also covers hospital information systems and a cloud-based data center that supports city services for residents.

Officials have greenlit 22 developments under the national strategy with 14 more in the pipeline, which means the same mix of cards, cameras and WiFi will appear in more neighborhoods over time. Residents can check local transport offices or the New Administrative Capital project site for updates on card distribution and camera coverage expansions.