During his speech, President El-Sisi said that the year 2011 saw the 25th of January Revolution which ended the three-decade rule of President Hosni Mubarak.
Egypt, El-Sisi continued, was about to teeter toward instability and to collapse just like other countries, only to be the one country that survived the plots hatched against several Arab countries.
El-Sisi also cited the support of several countries to Egypt during that period.
He extended thanks to the Arab countries which supported Egypt, warning against attempts on social media “to drive a wedge between Egypt and its allies”.
The challenges which faced Egypt were numerous and had to be confronted simultaneously, said El-Sisi, adding that the state of fragmentation, disintegration and loss of hope which prevailed among Egyptians was among the challenges.
Egypt experienced chaos following 2011, he said, noting that its cost amounted to about $450 billion.
Renovating Egyptian sectors
During his speech, El-Sisi said that to build its capabilities the Egyptian State needs an annual budget of $1 trillion, adding that this amount is not available.
He said that the state needs $250 billion to reform education.
The president also said that the enormous challenges in Egypt were confronted through ideas and initiatives.
The challenges besetting each country are totally different from the challenges facing other countries, he noted.
"The solution - in my point of view - lies in the ideas and solutions," he went on to say.
El-Sisi affirmed that the energy crisis was also among the major problems, adding that resolving the electricity problem which had gripped Egypt for 7 years was one of his immediate priorities.
The government has allocated EGP 1.8 trillion to the electricity sector over the past years in order to confront the energy crisis, he further said.
In this regard, El-Sisi emphasised the importance of interacting with other nations to highlight the daunting challenges facing different countries.
The president also said that the renovation of the transport sector in Egypt cost about EGP 2 trillion.
Overpopulation
El-Sisi also shed light on the challenge of overpopulation, saying Egypt's population increased from 80-81 million in 2011 to 105 million at present.
He also highlighted the challenge posed by the concentration of the majority of the population in a narrow strip extending from Alexandria to Aswan parallel to the Nile.
He affirmed that the state seeks to expand the populated areas to reach 12 percent across the nation instead of 5 percent currently, noting in this respect that Egypt has constructed 24 smart cities.
About 800,000 young people get married annually and they need 600,000 housing units on an annual basis, El-Sisi said.
He spoke about the mega national projects in Egypt, saying that they were implemented by Egyptian companies and that they provided about 5 million jobs for Egyptians.
The New Administrative Capital (NAC) falls within the framework of the state's efforts to create a new urban space, the president said.
State projects
"If we want to apply the success stories of South Korea and Singapore... we shall be able to do so only through work, patience and sacrifice," the president went on to say.
He further said that Egypt aspires to implement an electricity linkage project with Saudi Arabia, Greece, Italy, Sudan and Libya, affirming that unlike before the country is now qualified to implement this project.
The president affirmed that the state welcomed cooperation with the private sector in building hospitals and schools.
The private sector is distinguished by sound management, President El-Sisi said, pointing out to the protocol forged between the public and the private sectors.
The inflation rate is high in both Egypt and the whole world, he added, highlighting the perseverance of the Egyptian nation.
There is a state of confidence between the Egyptian people on the one hand and the leadership and the government on the other, he said, adding that some parties have been trying for eight months or a year to shake the confidence between the government and the people.
The president pointed out that the state gives top priority to the education and health sectors. He further reiterated the government's utmost keenness on generating jobs.
The national projects in the field of education will bear fruit 14 years from now, he added.
Speaking of the pioneering and successful initiatives which Egypt launched during the 2022 global climate conference, COP27, El-Sisi affirmed that Egypt attaches great importance to environment and climate issues.
He also referred to the dredging activities that are being carried out in the 1.4 million square metre Lake Manzala.
Egypt is working tirelessly to resolve all environmental-related problems, he explained.
Moving on to road projects, the president said that these projects primarily aim to save $8 billion, which is the value of the fuel used in traffic.
Egypt is focusing on environmental conservation, affirmed the president.
Egypt officially started to pay special attention to environmental issues ever since the Paris and Glasgow conferences, President El-Sisi said.
He highlighted that after being chosen to host COP27, Egypt’s main goal was to oblige the industrial countries to join the 'loss and damage' fund to help developing countries face the impacts of climate change.
Speaking of COP28, which will be hosted by the UAE this year, the president said that there is constant coordination with the UAE in this respect.
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