I was in a taxi in busy Cairo traffic, enjoying a cigarette with the driver. We moved forward slowly in the stream of cars and started a conversation. We exchanged formalities, raising our voices to drown out the sounds of the bustling metropolis.

As often happens in these situations, the driver welcomes me to Egypt and, in the context of asking about my experiences, exclaims that his country is “the mother of the world.” Egyptians tend to be proud of their country and love pointing out its historical and cultural richness.

As we reached the outskirts of Cairo proper, I couldn’t help but notice the many posters of Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. In Cairo, one is destined to be reminded of the government’s presence when setting foot outside the door. It is as if the government fears that people will forget about it if it does not constantly impress its existence on them.

Upon arrival at our destination, I paid the driver and wished him well. I felt small moving towards the entrance of the Grand Egyptian Museum. This enormous building cost the government more than $1 billion to construct.

The Grand Egyptian Museum is just one of the Egyptian government’s new construction projects. A much more extensive operation is taking place in the desert outside Cairo—constructing a new capital.

Projected to cost $58 billion, the new city could eventually house more than 7 million people. Many of these projects, however, do not serve the average Egyptian as much as they do the government.

The new administrative capital will encompass the country’s ministries, as well as military facilities and schools. Most of the housing is intended for the people employed by these institutions—bureaucrats, soldiers, and teachers. As such, the new capital serves to enlarge and empower the government.

Furthermore, the Egyptian military has a 51% stake in the company overseeing the building of the new capital. As such, much of the money spent on the project, including tax money paid by Egyptian citizens, and loans, will facilitate the growth of the country’s military apparatus. Egypt’s new capital will also house the world’s largest ministry of defense, topping the U.S. pentagon.

Second, the new city secures the government’s position and insulates it from the masses living in Cairo and surrounding cities. Sisi came to power shortly after the Arab spring and struggled to hold power against the Muslim Brotherhood.

In 2013, the Egyptian police and armed forces killed as many as 1,000 Muslim Brotherhood protesters opposing Sisi’s reign. The government has since been clinging to power and seeking opportunities to secure its position.

The new capital will have a surveillance system with over 6,000 cameras to monitor crowds and report suspicious activity. China and Chinese tech companies like Huawei are involved in constructing the city. In addition, the government has little to fear from the new capital’s inhabitants, primarily middle-class bureaucrats reliant on the government. Even if protestors make it to the new capital, located 45 kilometers from Cairo, in large numbers, a significant military presence will be waiting for them.

Government interests notwithstanding, the construction of the new capital will also benefit the average Egyptian (in the short term, at least). Citizens of Cairo, for example, a city whose population has been growing at around 2% per year, can expect less congestion.

The streets around embassies and ministries are often closed off to the public, and the relocation of these facilities will improve traffic. In addition, many people are bound to leave the overcrowded city for the new capital, improving living circumstances in Cairo.

Let’s hope that the new capital will help facilitate the effective government in the service of the people rather than serve as a prelude to a dystopian society.