The nation’s talking heads focused mainly on the new administrative capital last night following a speech from President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, while the national dialogue and the destruction of the Nile’s historic houseboats also got attention.

The cost of the new capital’s government district: EGP 4 bn a year. The owner and developer of the new administrative capital will charge the state EGP 4 bn a year in rent to use the government district, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said in a speech yesterday. The government is not having to fund any of the city’s construction, but will have to pay rent to the Administrative Capital for Urban Development (ACUD) to use the district, which houses government ministries, the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the central bank, the president said during the launch of the Digital Egypt platform. The company is 51% owned by the military, while a unit of the Housing Ministry holds the remainder. Al Hayah Al Youm (watch, runtime: 2:26) and Ala Mas’ouleety (watch, runtime: 1:24) had the story.

How much is it costing to make the new capital “smart”? The price tag for the new administrative capital’s digital infrastructure is EGP 100 bn, El Sisi said, according to state news agency MENA.

Digital Egypt also received attention on the airwaves with Masaa DMC (watch, runtime: 4:29) and Al Hayah Al Youm (watch, runtime: 4:21) covering its launch. The platform allows the public to access a range of government services online.

Various political parties have received invites to take part in the national dialogue, Emad El Din Hussein, senator and one of the 19 members on the board of trustees overseeing the process, told Al Hayah Al Youm (watch, runtime: 4:01). The board held its first meeting earlier this week, during which it agreed on its bylaws. Need a refresher on the national dialogue? You can read our explainer here.

Eviction on the Nile: The decision to remove the Nile’s houseboats to make way for new commercial developments continued to get coverage last night, with Ala Mas’ouleety’s Ahmed Moussa reporting that the president told one resident, Ekhlas Helmy, who appealed directly to him to let her keep the boat, that she would not be evicted until the government provides her with a new place to live (watch, runtime: 11:07). International media outlets have reported that residents of the boats have not been provided compensation or offered new accommodation after being evicted.