Egypt is racing against time to build a river in the middle of the desert, to go with the new administrative capital it is working on about 30 miles (45 kilometers) east of Cairo.

On Jan. 14, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly attended the construction launch of the Green River project, worth 9 billion Egyptian pounds ($501.8 million), in the $45 billion new administrative capital. Seven construction companies are working on the project, which involves hundreds of workers.

Madbouly said during the ceremony that the man-made river will link a series of the new administrative capital’s “smart,” modern neighborhoods and will feature a chain of gardens making up one of the most distinctive botanical parks in the world.

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