Sadat City (Egyptian Arabic: مدينة السادات Madīnat as-Sādāt), named after the late president Anwar Sadat, is a city in the Monufia Governorate, Egypt. It is a markaz (city center) located in the northern part of the country. The city is located 94 kilometers (58 mi) northwest of Cairo.
Location of Sadat City in Egypt
Sadat City is one of the cities established by the Urban Communities Authority to preserve agricultural land and prevent them from decaying. The Authority was concerned about urban sprawl and reconstructing the desert region around the Delta. Another reason for Sadat City's establishment was to provide an outlet for the high population centers which cause a burden for the Delta Governorates.
Strategic Location and Connectivity
Sadat City is northwest of Cairo on the Alex Desert Road. It is connected with the Central Delta Governorates along with Cairo. At Sadat, the city has a well-connected network both inside the city and with outside places. The city can be reached easily due to its connection with the many major roads in Egypt. The city is connected to the Regional Road that connects Sadat with the Delta Governorates via the Sadat Bridge and the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road. The internal road network is also well maintained to ensure easy driving.
Urban Planning and Housing
The city covers a total area of 500 square km and is divided into 28,000 acres of land area. The housing system in Sadat shows a great amount of variation and has many different architectural styles and patterns. There are many varieties of affordable housing and in addition, there is a Mubarak National Youth Housing, which helped construct 140 houses. Also, there is a future housing project planned by a leading venture capital firm that is managed by capable businessmen who together are hoping to establish an adequate housing system for all.
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Education and Community
Sadat is a well-developed city and there are many established educational facilities. There are colleges and universities offering comfortable accommodations for students coming here to study from overseas destinations and Egypt. The communication network is well developed with a very well-laid telephone network and internet connectivity. In terms of religious needs, there are many mosques in Sadat and an Islamic Center that also demonstrates the nobility and beauty of Islamic architecture. A church is also situated in the city center.
Industrial Significance
Sadat City is worth visiting. It has a large green belt area surrounding the city and has earned a place in the top ten industrial societies in the Middle East boasting a clean environment and secure natural resources. Sadat City, still under construction, is the most ambitious of seven new industrial communities that together will be home, if all goes well, for more than 4 million Egyptians within the next 50 years. He says the desert cities are going to be self-sufficient industrial communities, and their primary objective will be to boost national productivity. In Sadat City, the priority is to get the factories built, with housing coming later. No one, furthermore, will be able to buy a home in the city unless he works there, either in industry, construction, or public services.
Some 300 investors have sought approval to establish plants in the new city, according to Mr. Mataal, 25 of whom have had thier projects accepted. In this early stage of growth, the accent will be on heavy, laborintensive industry. The projects already approved include factories for steel bars, cast iron, building materials, and automobile assembly.
| Industry | Examples |
|---|---|
| Heavy Industry | Steel bars, cast iron |
| Manufacturing | Building materials, automobile assembly |
Addressing National Challenges
But it is at Sadat City, on a stretch of desert midway between Cairo and Alexandria, that Egyptian planners are going to take a lonely stand against the social problems that blight the lives of so many in Egypt today. The most important of these problems are urban decay, housing shortages, unemployment, and overpopulation. For Egyptian planners, therefore, there is nowhere to go but the desert.
Today, Egypt's 42 million citizens are squeezed together on the 4 percent of the land that can be cultivated -- namely, in the fertile valley that runs along the Nile River and in its triangular-shaped delta north of Cairo. It is land that lately has been unable to produce enough to feed the masses. As a result, the country must import 40 percent of its food. In the inhabited areas, population density, at 3,075 people per square mile, is among the highest on earth.
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Sadat city , Egypt - Road Trip
Vision for the Future
When young and committed engineers such as Hassan Abdel mataal survey this vast and forbidding expanse of sand, sky, and space, they see as many as half a million people living in comfortable two-story homes, enjoying an unpolluted and scientifically planned environment. He says the desert cities are going to be self-sufficient industrial communities, and their primary objective will be to boost national productivity. In Sadat City, the priority is to get the factories built, with housing coming later. No one, furthermore, will be able to buy a home in the city unless he works there, either in industry, construction, or public services.
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