Smart cities are transforming urban development by utilizing AI, IoT, and big data in resolving urbanization challenges, enhancing sustainability, and improving quality of life. Egypt, under Vision 2030, is initiating smart city projects to digitalize infrastructure, propel digital transformation, and attain inclusive, resilient cities. This study employs a qualitative mixed-methods approach, integrating policy analysis, case studies, and empirical surveys to examine Egypt’s smart cities through the lenses of governance, education, healthcare, and mobility. A two-stage approach is employed to examine both macro-level regulatory regimes and micro-level smart city implementations and end-user experiences. The study examines progress through Digital Egypt and leading projects like the New Administrative Capital and New Alamein City. Despite progress, challenges persist including regulatory gaps together with scalability problems and digital accessibility barriers as well as socio-economic inequalities. The study establishes the need for stronger governance and private sector participation together with affordable and digital literacy-focused policies to enable equitable smart city development. The final recommendations emphasize regulatory clarity and stakeholder collaboration to overcome socio-economic barriers as a pathway to sustainable and inclusive urban transformation in Egypt.