Minister of Housing Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Communication and Information Technology Atef Helmy announced their ministries' plan to cooperate in the establishment of smart villages in new cities; the project aims to develop the technology sector, a Monday statement from Ministry of Housing said. The smart villages will include technology incubators, training centres, technological product outlets, government service centres and other commercial activities, the statement added. In addition to creating job opportunities, the project will stimulate and contribute to the growth of the housing and construction sector, as it will result in a rise in the prices of surrounding lands, Madbouly said. Meanwhile, Helmy requested that the housing ministry ensure the allocated lands for the projects are near to urban areas, airports and universities. The location of the lands will be decided in a Wednesday meeting, the statement said. Helmy noted that the smart villages will help attract investments, boost technology exports, support small and medium enterprises and decrease immigration to major governorates, such as Cairo and Giza. Earlier in April, the ministries of Housing and Supply also cooperated to begin establishing markets, trade complexes, logistics areas and factory outlets in new cities, particularly Upper Egypt, "to offer their residents various commodities at reduced prices", according to the housing minister.
