The settlement was established in 1979 by the 504th presidential decree ofEgyptian PresidentAnwar Sadat. It is 32 km (20 mi) from the center of Cairo and 17 km (11 mi) from the great pyramids of Giza. Despite having many unfinished or vacant buildings, the city has a total area of 482 km2 (119,000 acres) and is eventually expected to have six million residents.[4]
It was announced as the capital of the 6th of October Governorate in April 2008. Following the governorate's dissolution in April 2011, in the wake of theEgyptian revolution, it was reincorporated into theGiza Governorate, to which it had originally belonged.
The city is named after the date of commencement forOperation Badr, the 6th of October 1973, which began theOctober War. The same date was chosen as Egypt'sArmed Forces Day.
Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate ashot desert (BWh). Its climate is very similar toGiza andCairo, owing to its proximity to them. That being said, some places in 6th of October are a bit colder and windier than central Cairo and Giza city at night for several reasons. This is mainly because buildings as infrastructure tend to be more spaced out accompanied by more empty spaces allows for wind to pick for easily than the densely populated centre of Giza and Cairo. Additionally, the city was built in the desert which tends to be colder and drier than the damp humid area closer to theNile.
6th of October is the headquarters of theConfederation of African Football. It hosts Egypt'sSmart Village, the technology park and regional hub for many companies in the IT and financial sectors.[6]
The main office of theUNHCR in Egypt, in addition to its RSD office, is located in that city as well.[7]
6th of October City has one of the largest centralised banking sectors,business districts and industrial zones of any city in Egypt, something upon which the entire city was founded. This area not only contains various banking branches, businesses, warehouses, corporate offices and more within a convenient location, but provides countless employment opportunities for people from within the city and other parts of Giza (as well as those commuting further from surrounding regions).
Some of the largest businesses with locations in 6th of October City are:
The city is served by many mosques, the largest being El Hosary Mosque on El Tahrir St. built in the honour of an eminent EgyptianQari,Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary.
^"Home."American International School in Egypt West Campus. Retrieved on January 25, 2015. "AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL IN EGYPT WEST CAMPUS Sheikh Zayed City Entrance 2 Greens Compound"
^"Contact Us."International School of Choueifat 6th of October City. Retrieved on 24 January 2015. "The International School of Choueifat - City of 6 October, EgyptDreamland, City of 6 October, Al Giza, Egypt"