The gleaming tower blocks and high-tech facilities of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's flagship new capital are a far cry from Cairo's congested streets and crumbling facades.

In the New Administrative Capital that is taking shape in the desert, lampposts double up as Wi-Fi hotspots, keycards grant access to buildings, and more than 6,000 surveillance cameras keep watch over the first of its 6.5 million planned residents.

A single mobile app allows the city's inhabitants to make utility payments, access public services and register complaints with the authorities.