Published On 5/7/2026
|
Last update: 17:04 (Mecca time)
Satellite images analyzed by the open source unit of Al Jazeera Network showed the transformation witnessed by the area of the headquarters of the new strategic leadership of the Egyptian state, known as “The Octagon”, since the start of construction work in late 2016, until the completion of the construction of its facilities during recent years, within the framework of the New Administrative Capital project east of Cairo.
A temporal comparison of satellite images between January 4, 2017, and May 30, 2026 shows the site’s transition from an empty area to a huge complex that includes command buildings, service facilities, and a wide network of roads and facilities, reflecting the expansion of the scope of the project and its development in successive stages.
From the desert to the octagon
Satellite images taken in early 2017 show that the area was an almost empty desert area, before the initial site preparation work began.
With subsequent images, the features of the project began to gradually emerge through the construction of internal roads and circular rings surrounding the site, then the implementation of the main buildings that took the shape of an octagon, a design that gave the complex its name, “The Octagon.”
Read also
list of 2 itemsend of list
Time comparisons document the expansion of construction work year after year, with the emergence of new buildings, open squares, and service facilities, in addition to a network of roads linking the complex to the axes of the New Administrative Capital.
Multi-sector design
A satellite image taken on July 26, 2022 shows the completion of the main features of the “Octagon” complex, as the circular design of the complex appears to have been completed, with its main buildings distributed around an internal center, and linked to each other by a network of roads and traffic rings.
The image also reveals the extension of facilities in the vicinity of the complex, in addition to its connection to the road network within the New Administrative Capital, which reflects significant progress in construction work compared to the first stages of the project.
Expansion of facilities
The development documented by satellite images is not limited to the command building alone, but also includes a noticeable expansion in its surroundings, as satellite images taken on December 30, 2025 show the construction of facilities attached to the main building, multi-lane roads, and green spaces, in addition to various service facilities, reflecting the development of the infrastructure surrounding the complex in conjunction with the growth of the New Administrative Capital.
The pictures also show an increase in urban density compared to the first stages of the project, with the completion of the transportation network and internal connectivity between the various facilities.
The project represents more than just a new headquarters for the Egyptian Armed Forces, but rather an integrated center for command and control that relies on modern systems for managing operations, communications, and decision-making.
According to the Information and Decision Support Center of the Egyptian Council of Ministers, the complex includes a number of specialized centers, including the unified strategic data center for the state, the control center for the closed strategic network, the defense coordination center, and the center for managing and operating state facilities, in addition to centers for controlling emergency and safety services, communications networks, and weather forecasts, in addition to strategic warehouses dedicated to securing the state’s needs.
The project also includes multiple service facilities, including hospitals, schools, hotels, places of worship, sports facilities, residential areas, and administrative and commercial complexes.
Project completed
Satellite images taken on June 18, 2026 show the completion of the project, which has witnessed continuous development since the start of construction work, as it moved in less than a decade from an open desert site to one of the largest government and military complexes built within the New Administrative Capital project in Egypt.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi inaugurated the headquarters of the state’s strategic command, known as “The Octagon,” yesterday, Saturday, presenting the project as one of the most prominent landmarks of the new republic and the country’s modern system of command and control. He stressed that the choice of the administrative capital as the headquarters of the new leadership “came in response to lessons the state learned from the events of 2011 and what followed,” when state institutions were subjected to pressures that were considered to almost threaten the state’s ability to manage crises.
