Luxor4u

The plans for this new city East of Cairo were recently showed off at an international conference in Sharm el Sheikh and was seen by less than 20% of the international community at this gathering. It is expected to be built within five to seven years at cost of $45 Billion, when we look at what is suppose to be achieved for this price, then I am afraid it all sounds like 'pie in the sky' to me.

I could be wrong, but from what I understand, they are to build 21 residential districts, 660 hospitals, 1,250 mosques and churches, a theme park four times the size of Disneyland. There are also separate plans to build new government administration offices, a new Presidential Palace and new embassies and accommodation for foreign diplomats and staff, the costing for this has not been submitted

In the passed couple of weeks it seems that China has shown a keen interest in financing and developing the government and diplomatic quarter of this yet to be named new city. Although China has only signed 'memorandum of intention', (and we all know that means nothing) it is quite possible that this agreement is feasible.

For many years now China has been seeking out places in Central Africa where it can source desperately needed mineral. Working with these government China has quietly been doing rather well, but instead of lining the pockets of various dictators, as was the policy under the old British Empire, China send in their own people to build the infrastructure, from roads, electricity supply, water, etc, etc, to benefit the native population. This also ensure that they, the people, know it is China who is helping the population, and not so much 'el presidenti'. This policy also guarantees that there is little room for corruption on either part. With this in mind, I am wondering whether this policy will work out in Egypt.

The 28 mile road to this new city, East of Cairo is already under construction by the Egyptian army,............a road to nowhere.

You can't accuse Sisi of lacking ambition

If one drives to Suez from Cairo there are hundreds of so called 'Cities along the road the 'Welcome come buy a villa signs are hanging off, rusted, dilapidated as are most of those 'cities/housing developments, pity the poor mugs that invested over there....
Ps: What ever did happen to that 'City of Jorffe ? 'another road to nowhere......or down under ?

Russia......High Dam?

Perplexed of Tunbridge Wells writes:

'The 21st July 1970 it's getting a bit old now perhaps the 'Ruskies or 'Chinks can come and build us a new and more efficient one...

If it is built who ever funds it and I heard that there were a lot of investors in the project, it will provide much needed work for 1000"s.

Mad Dilys wrote:Russia......High Dam?

Methinks not MD.

The Chinese are much more shrewd than most people give them credit for. If this deal was to go ahead, then China would certainly hold the deeds and offer a 50 year lease of the new development out in the desert. It would also require the then vacant land in central Cairo including Garden City to develop into probably 'social housing' under a hundred year lease, before being handed back to the Egyptian Government.

China sees itself as the new power house, and has no reason to feel threatened by any one other country as Russia did back in the 1970's. For sure it will not go to war with any of its neighbours, instead it will in the future cut all trade links, thus allowing that nation to implode. Within the next ten years it will however, take back Taiwan into its fold, and I do not believe for one moment that any nation will lift a hand against this in the U.N.

carrie wrote:If it is built who ever funds it and I heard that there were a lot of investors in the project, it will provide much needed work for 1000"s.

It's a nice thought Carrie, but sad to say things like that are not so in the Middle East. If as I suggest China takes up the contract all its tech people come in from China, the only natives of any nation that they have worked in so far have been labourer, and on a very similar wage and conditions as you may have seen in places like Doha. Can not see your average Egyptian going along with that, so like Doha they will bring in the labour from Bangladesh. I can not for one moment see that they will try to incorporate the army into a none 'For the national further' project.

Chinese expertise set up Etisalat, a few came to live and work in Egypt for the duration of the contract. They employed local labour at a very decent wage, reason I know is because I lived across the road from them and got to know them all quite well.
What is more they went to the trouble to learn the language before they arrived more than can be said for American and European businesses that try to start up here.

This is so true Carrie what you say about Chinese people on contracts abroad, but this huge contract in Egypt would easy cost something like $60 to $70 Billion, it can only possibly be the Chinese Government who can these days back such a project. It is the only country in the world that holds such massive deposits of U.S.$, and therefore it will be they who pull the strings, and not individual Chinese companies.

Now here's an interesting little app by Ap and it's nothing to do with phones...
http://inhabitat.com/solar-powered-hand ... he-desert/
Ap quote: 'Climate Change = Culture Change'
Ps: *someone here once told me "that the Chinese were bought over to Luxor to build the very first Corniche and with them Chinese galabiyas'
which are now 'de-rigueur for all.
'Is this true or an urban myth ?
P*ss: probably a very drunken *Stan.......or Charlie...?

Quote: Now here's an interesting little app by Ap and it's nothing to do with phones...
http://inhabitat.com/solar-powered-hand ... he-desert/

Reminds me of the Stillsuits of the fremen in Frank Herbert's "Dune"

I gave that book to my son when he was 10, he read the whole thing cover to cover.. Clever lad that one.
Also a fan of Sting, who played Feyd Rautha. ( House of Haarkonnen )... come to think of it, he looks a lot like Sting too..

... and of course he has had recent talks with Putin. Chinese+Russian cash will equal no problem in financing a project of this size. And good luck to the country if he pulls it off, better than just sitting on his backside like his predecessors and just fulfilling his own greed. And many Egyptian workers will benefit as well, he is not that stupid to let it happen differently, IMO. And perhaps he can then finally raise a single finger in the direction of the USA.

Many of us who have lived here, or visited regularly, could be forgiven for regarding Egypt not so much as a failed state but a state going nowhere fast. In some respects even a 'Mickey Mouse' state.

Maybe Sisi's the man to turn things round.

I, for one, hope so ......although I doubt it'll be in my lifetime.

newcastle wrote:Many of us who have lived here, or visited regularly, could be forgiven for regarding Egypt not so much as a failed state but a state going nowhere fast. In some respects even a 'Mickey Mouse' state.

Maybe Sisi's the man to turn things round.

I, for one, hope so ......although I doubt it'll be in my lifetime.

Why? You not feeling too good?

I'm fine D........but doubt I will live a further 50 years

Who2 wrote: Ps: *someone here once told me "that the Chinese were bought over to Luxor to build the very first Corniche and with them Chinese galabiyas'
which are now 'de-rigueur for all.
'Is this true or an urban myth ?
P*ss: probably a very drunken *Stan.......or Charlie...?

Certainly Stan was not in Luxor at that time, I'm not sure if Charlie was, as I only ever met him once, but I can clearly tell you Dr, that the first Corniche was built by the Chinesse.

It is said that the dear lady who lived in the gardens when there was once a real British consulate in Luxor, had previously come over from China as the shi-waller for the Chinesse workers, then stayed on after the others left. She then moved into a 'shed' in said consulate garden, up the road from The Winter Palace, whether this part of the story is true, I don't know.

As a frequent visitor to the consulate at that time, I did get to know this lady who's name, as far as I was concurned was,.....'Him no ear, You go, You go now'. That was whether the old boy was there or not. She was truly hysterical, she never recognised me from one visit to another, supply because to her one pasty white person was like all the others,..........never did find out what happened to her.

A-Four wrote:

Who2 wrote: Ps: *someone here once told me "that the Chinese were bought over to Luxor to build the very first Corniche and with them Chinese galabiyas'
which are now 'de-rigueur for all.
'Is this true or an urban myth ?
P*ss: probably a very drunken *Stan.......or Charlie...?

Certainly Stan was not in Luxor at that time, I'm not sure if Charlie was, as I only ever met him once, but I can clearly tell you Dr, that the first Corniche was built by the Chinesse.

.

When was this A4?

I first came in February 1989 when there was a corniche under construction/reconstruction and there were no steps from the river, we had to clamber over boulders. If there were any Chinese working on the construction at this time they were either back-room boys or wonderfully disguised. But the corniche being worked on then - which seemed never to be finished - was finally completed, but only there for a few years and ripped up and done again, this time quicker as was the next one.............

I think in my time I have seen 4 corniches, mainly for misappropriation of funds.
I'm talking well over 50 years at least when the Chinese came.
Look at the old B&W photos of the workers in Howard Carters days none are see wearing Galabyias....

Mad Dilys wrote:

A-Four wrote:

Who2 wrote: Ps: *someone here once told me "that the Chinese were bought over to Luxor to build the very first Corniche and with them Chinese galabiyas'
which are now 'de-rigueur for all.
'Is this true or an urban myth ?
P*ss: probably a very drunken *Stan.......or Charlie...?

Certainly Stan was not in Luxor at that time, I'm not sure if Charlie was, as I only ever met him once, but I can clearly tell you Dr, that the first Corniche was built by the Chinesse.

.

When was this A4?

I first came in February 1989 when there was a corniche under construction/reconstruction and there were no steps from the river, we had to clamber over boulders. If there were any Chinese working on the construction at this time they were either back-room boys or wonderfully disguised. But the corniche being worked on then - which seemed never to be finished - was finally completed, but only there for a few years and ripped up and done again, this time quicker as was the next one.............

Oh MD, sorry if I gave the impression that there was little Chinese men running around every where, no they were just the engineering and managing people of the project.