President Abdel-Fattah El Sisi has directed the government to keep up efforts necessary for completing the establishment of fourth-generation cities as part of a national urban development strategic plan.

This came during the president's meeting on Saturday with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Development Assem El-Gazzar.

The plan seeks to increase populated areas, minimize overcrowding in cities and old governorates and deal with the steady growth in population, the president noted during the meeting.

El-Sisi asserted the need to follow high standards of quality and state-of-the-art technologies for all the smart cities under-construction nationwide, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi said.

During the meeting, El-Sisi was given an overview of the urban infrastructure of the new cities being established at the national level, including the New Administrative Capital, New El-Alamein City, New Mansoura City, East Port Said and New Bir El-Abed City in North Sinai, Rady added.

The meeting also took up the latest developments in the road and utility projects in progress nationwide, the executive procedures for rationalizing water consumption and a national project for improving unsafe squatter areas, the spokesman noted.

Moreover, Minister El-Gazzar posted the president on the results of his recent visit to Beijing, during which he signed an agreement to receive the second tranche of a $3 billion loan, arranged by several Chinese banks, to fund the establishment of the central business zone in the New Administrative Capital.