President El-Sisi Meets with PM and Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities

The President today held a meeting with Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities Dr. Assem El-Gazzar.

As stated by the Spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency, the meeting discussed the current status of the projects carried out by the Ministry of Housing, especially the ones related to a number of new cities across the country.

In the meeting, the Minister of Housing presented the construction status of the following new cities: New Mansoura, New Rashid, New Aswan - with all that it includes in terms of utilities, establishments, services, commercial and entertainment areas. In addition, the ongoing construction work in Sawary New Alexandria Project as well as the progress made in developing Zohour Mayo area that was affected by flash floods last year.

The meeting also discussed the current status in the New Administrative Capital and its residential, government, finance and business districts along with the Iconic Tower. The Minister also stressed that the construction works are ongoing as scheduled and planned in terms of financial aspects, timeframes and actual completion rates.

The Minister also presented the progress made in New Alamein City and the projects it encompasses, such as towers, residential districts, the Heritage City, the Latin Quarter, the recreation area, and residential compounds as well as Al-Alamein International University (AIU). Furthermore, the meeting discussed the latest developments in Al-Galala City, including hotel chains and resorts.

The President instructed that all the housing projects be completed in new cities as scheduled and with the highest quality standards, stressing that utilities, services, internal roads and civilized coordination operations should be prioritized. It will also be imperative to uphold infrastructure sustainability to accommodate expected future needs as soon as these cities operate.

His Excellency also underlined the importance of making the largest possible size for the entrances to the New Administrative Capital and the axes leading to it, so that it would accommodate the expected traffic movement. The President further emphasized that the main axes and roads leading to Greater Cairo and its neighborhoods should be linked to the New Administrative Capital.

The Spokesman added that the Minister of Housing presented various services, which the ministry is responsible for, within the framework of the national project for the development of Egyptian rural villages. The minister focused on drinking water and sanitation sectors and therefore gave an overview on the size of the equipment mobilized. He further illustrated various models for the projects in some centers (Markaz), especially in Upper Egypt region.

President El-Sisi directed that all data related to the project of developing the Egyptian rural villages be audited. His Excellency further emphasized that a team of academics and planning and statistics experts will work on the project and be responsible for not only examining all details needed for the project on the ground but also updating the data on the villagers’ residents and their living conditions.

During the meeting, the President was updated on the proposal of the “Greater Disclosure over the Land of Peace”, including 14 major projects, in the sacred area in Sinai in the vicinity of Moses (Gebel Musa) and St. Catherine Mountains. In this context, His Excellency instructed that all the details of the projects must be studied carefully and thence implemented in a way that aligns with the unique location of this area as well as its sanctity and spiritual value that is placed on humanity as a whole. Additionally, the construction studies should take into consideration the nature of the climate and geological conditions of the project site.

Furthermore, the updates of the comprehensive development plan for Historic Cairo were also discussed, especially the historic area of the Ain El-Sira Lake and the vicinity of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Old Cairo. This project aims not only to restore the culture of these areas but also to turn these areas into a sophisticated tourist destination with a modern architectural character and integrated services. In addition, the development process in the vicinity of the El-Sayeda Eisha and the Maspero Triangle has been underway along with the establishment of “Mamsha Ahl Masr” (Walkway for the people of Egypt) project which overlooks the River Nile. In fact, this is one of the ambitious projects amounting to a fundamental change in Cairo’s current image and restoring its civilized one. Increasing green spaces and tourist attractions were also enlisted in the agenda of the project.

The President called for intensifying the efforts aimed at developing Historic Cairo and expediting the implementation of its final phases in order to highlight Cairo’s role as a cultural, civilizational, and tourism center. This shall be done in coordination with the efforts aimed to expand the new urban communities that are being implemented nationwide.