Egypt's Urban Development Fund (UDF) chairman Khaled Siddiq discussed urban development at a conference in Spain, focusing on blended financing for sustainable urban infrastructure, as stated in a Cabinet statement on Wednesday. Speaking at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, Siddiq noted the transformation of the fund from a state-funded service body to a development-oriented economic institution managing projects across over 230 cities. He noted the reclassification of urban areas to leverage high-value zones to help finance the regeneration of deteriorated ones, reducing reliance on public funding, the announcement added. Siddiq also addressed major challenges in bankable infrastructure projects, such as limited technical capacity, coordination difficulties, data gaps, and regulatory hurdles—especially in smaller cities. To address these challenges, he explained that the UDF offers on-site technical support, feasibility studies, inter-agency coordination, hands-on learning through project execution, and joint workshops with international partners. Siddiq underscored the importance of blended finance tools in attracting private investment and mitigating risks. He called for clear risk-sharing mechanisms, early-stage project development, and stronger regulatory frameworks. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
