Ras el-Hekma
Ras el-Hekma
راس الحكمة Ras al-Hikma | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Ras el-Hekma Location in Egypt | |
| Coordinates: 31°13′N 27°51′E / 31.217°N 27.850°E | |
| Country |  Egypt |
| Governorate | Matruh |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | +2 |
Ras el-Hekma (Arabic: راس الحكمة) is a village on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt.
Overview[edit]
Ras el-Hekma is located in the Egyptian Western Desert on a cape in the Mediterranean Sea, some 70 km east of Mersa Matruh and 200 km west of Alexandria. The area produces 17 percent of Egypt's olives and 26 percent of its figs.[1]
In 2024, Egypt's New Urban Communities Authority and the Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADQ), a sovereign wealth fund based in the United Arab Emirates, signed a deal for the ADQ to invest $35 billion in developing the area.[2] The deal grants ADQ the right to develop 130 million square metres of land, and is the largest foreign investment deal in Egypt's history.[2] Questions have been raised regarding the project's impact on Egypt's large debt burden[3] and the forced relocation of current residents.[1]
It is planned to establish a city on an area of 55 thousand acres in the location of the village, where the Egyptian government hopes the city will become a new 'Sharm El Sheikh' on the Mediterranean Sea.
The new city is divided into 11 districts: Eastern Gate - Sun Gate - White Hill - Design District - Tribal City - Wisdom Island - Fig Valley - Old District - Turtle Beach - Gulf - Western Gate. It is planned to be built in the Bedouin architectural style.
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Ras el-Hekma: The Bedouin threatened by the UAE's Egypt megaproject". Middle East Eye.
- ^ a b Tabikha, Kamal (February 27, 2024). "UAE's $35bn investment to develop Ras Al Hekma provides lifeline for Egypt's economy". The National.
- ^ "Understanding Egypt's Ras Al-Hekma Land Deal: No Panacea". March 12, 2024.