International Cooperation Minister Sahar Nasr signed a strategic plan with the Urban Planning Authority and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on Monday 26 December for the urban development of Alexandria till 2032.
The signing ceremony was held at the ministry’s headquarters in downtown Cairo.
With 4.31 Million inhabitants, Alexandria, after Cairo, is the second largest city in North Africa. It is an ancient settlement that has been occupied continuously for more than 4,000 years, an important touristic centre, centre of heavy and petrochemical industry and possesses the most important Egyptian and north African harbour.
The two-year agreement between the Ministry of International Cooperation and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) should have been completely planned out by 2016, but Nasr said that the deadline for planning was extended until 2018.
The extension is to establish the strategic plan, find new areas for development, and train employees in the regional centre for urban planning and development in Alexandria.
Nasr said that the UNDP’s partnership with Egypt aims at implementing sustainable development, especially in areas that are directly related to the Ministry of Housing which is in charge of building houses, roads, and infrastructure. The UNDP is one of the main supporters of the government’s programme to help the poorest societal segments and create jobs, Nasr stated.
Naglaa Arafa, assistant resident representative of the UNDP in Cairo, said that the project is a step towards Egypt’s vision to reorganise its resources and abilities to absorb excess population.
Watani International
27 December 2016