Architecture is not only a witness to history; it also tells stories. Before most of the Egyptian capital's residents wake up, Waleed Ramadan has already had breakfast, got dressed, and is ready to go to work. He waits for a bus to take him from his home on the eastern outskirts of Cairo further into the desert where an Egyptian dream is under construction – a new administrative capital. Ramadan is a technical engineer at China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), the company leading the CBD construction. It is the biggest project of the Belt and Road Initiative.

CSCEC and CGTN have jointly produced the "Building Lives" series featuring 15 overseas key projects and the people behind them and showcasing China's efforts to promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative and build a community with a shared future for all.