The French Institute will host a week-long forum in Cairo beginning Wednesday, bringing together a variety of public- and private-sector experts to discuss solutions for Egyptian cities in meeting the challenges of urban sustainability. The forum, which will be held from 22 to 28 November, will include participants such as the economic department at the French embassy in Cairo and the French Development Agency, along with their Egyptian partners, including Ahram Hebdo. A series of events and discussions will be held with urban planning experts, private companies and civil society representatives, as well as Egyptian and French decision-makers. A forum entitled "Efficient Urban Transport of Sustainable Cities" will be inaugurated on Wednesday, 22 November, and is organised by the Agence Française de développement (AFD) and its partners CODATU (Coopération pour le Développement et l'Amélioration des Transport Urbains et Périurbains) and Cerema (Centre d'études et d'expertise sur les risques, l'environnement, la mobilité et l'aménagement), in collaboration with Egyptian partners of the country's transportation sector. The urban transportation forum will provide an opportunity to gather stakeholders involved in the management, operation and financing of urban transport networks, and aims to promote discussions between the Egyptian Ministry of Transportation, its affiliates, and participating French companies. Economic Forum at Al-Ahram The French embassy's economic department, Al-Ahram Hebdo and the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Egypt are organizing the Sustainable City Business Forum, set to begin on 23 November, as part of the Making the Sustainable City event. The day will be dedicated to shedding light on the role of the private sector in providing smart and sustainable urban development solutions in Egypt. The event, which will be hosted by Al-Ahram Foundation from 9 am to 5 pm, will be attended by the Egyptian ministers of housing, electricity and renewable energy, investment and international cooperation, and environment, as well as a delegation from the France's largest employer federation, Mouvement des Entreprises de France (MEDEF). Additionally, a three-day conference, set to begin 25 November and organised by the French Institute in partnership with UN-Habitat and CLUSTER, will providing a platform for a French-Egyptian “exchange of ideas” about current critical urban questions. The conference will gather Egyptian, French and international experts, representing multiple stakeholders from various communities and urban sectors. On November 28, the French Development Agency (AFD) will organise a seminar on the topic of precarious neighborhoods in urgent need of sustainability reform initiatives.
