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Inside 'The Spine,' Egypt’s AI-powered ‘cognitive city’ near Cairo

The Egyptian government has launched ‘The Spine’, described as the country’s ‘first fully artificial‑intelligence‑powered cognitive city’. The project cost exceeds1.4 trillion Egyptian pounds (around Rs 2,53,000 crore).

According to the company, it's the first “cognitive city” in Egypt. Image/Reuters

FP Explainers|Apr 24, 2026, 13:30:07 IST

The Egyptian government has unveiled a mixed-use city project named “The Spine." Developers describe it as the nation's first fully artificial‑intelligence‑powered “cognitive city," Newsweek reported. They are also calling it an unprecedented step in smart urban development.

The project exceeds 1.4 trillion Egyptian pounds ($27 billion) (around Rs 2,24,100 crore), aimed at boosting the nation's economic growth. The Spine will be developed in partnership with the National Bank of Egypt, combining government support with private-sector implementation, Reuters reported.

A quick guide to Egypt’s new AI ‘Cognitive City’

This project will be built as a Special Investment Zone alongside Talaat Moustafa Group's Madinaty (TMG).

Spanning roughly 2.4 million square metres, it combines residential, commercial, hospitality, retail, entertainment, and green public spaces into a single continuous urban environment. It is located east of Cairo, the capital of Egypt.

The investment amounts to about 1 per cent of Egypt’s GDP and is expected to generate roughly 818 billion Egyptian pounds in tax revenues for the state budget over time, as per Moustafa, the report noted.

The Spine project is likely to create over 55,000 direct jobs and hundreds of thousands of indirect positions.

What's unique about 'The Spine'?

According to the company, it's the first “cognitive city” in Egypt. Its website says that the city will produce zero emissions and be carbon-neutral.

When it comes to technology, the city will have an integrated intelligence system that will connect services, spaces, and experiences in real time.

The city will do away with traditional cars, as it claims itself as “pedestrian-first.” Residents and visitors will move around through an underground mobility network and access driverless rides with "seamless automated access" throughout the city, Newsweek reported.

According to TMG's statement, the city will have what it calls the world’s first fully underground logistics network.

It also added that the idea was not developed quickly, as planning drew on five years of studies with the help of global consulting firms from China and Singapore.

What Egypt's PM Mostafa said

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Madbouly said, “The important message from the launch of this project at this time is that in the midst of what we are witnessing globally and locally, there are huge investments that see Egypt blessed with security and stability and that what is being injected with investments will achieve the highest possible economic returns," as quoted by Arab News.