Minister of Housing Assem El-Gazzar
Egypt has launched and implemented development ventures in Upper Egypt's governorates worth EGP 63 billion (around $4 billion) since 2014, said the country's Minister of Housing Assem El-Gazzar in an official statement released on Tuesday.
A number of these projects have been already completed, while many others are still in progress, according to El-Gazzar.
The development of the long-marginalized Egyptian south, which has a total population of over 23 million, is a key part of the country's 2030 development plan.
Minya, Assiut, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, and Aswan, have been undergoing a three-pillar development plan.
The first pillar covers implementing housing and infrastructure projects in the already-existing cities inside these governorates, the second aims to implement various projects in 8 new cities, and the third targets implementing projects in 6 other new cities, El-Gazzer added.
The country has been constructing new cities, providing lands and housing units to citizens, offering investment opportunities, providing various job opportunities, launching drinking water and sanitation projects, and developing slum areas, with the aim of raising the living standards of Upper Egyptian citizens.
The statement showed in numbers the total investments in Upper Egypt’s governorates, which are distributed as follows: EGP 13.2 billion for housing projects that aim to construct 130,892 housing units; EGP 389 million for the development of 94 slum areas, comprising 36,869 housing units; and EGP 11.3 billion for road reconstruction projects to cover maintenance of 931 kilometres of main and internal roads.
EGP 34.5 billion were also allocated to the implementation of 271 projects to connect networks of drinking water and sanitation services, and 1654 projects to revamp existing networks and stations; and EGP 3.6 billion were allocated to the services sector for the construction of 412 service facilities.
Short link: