Major General and South Sinai Governor Khaled Fouda has announced that he has donated his salary to the Long Live Egypt fund, saying: "Donating is not as necessary as putting in hard work and dedication." Fouda's salary is EGP 5,000, according to an official source in the governorate. President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has called for the establishment of the fund to support the Egyptian economy, urging for donations from businessmen and ordinary citizens. So far the fund has received approximately EGP 6.5bn, the majority of which has come from businessmen and banks. South Sinai governorate accounts for about a third of hotel capacity in Egypt, which totals 225,000 rooms. Seven countries have lifted or amended their travel warnings for the South Sinai governorate, put in place since mid-February after a tourist bus was bombed near the town of Taba. In a meeting last Friday, Fouda met with various sector heads in Sharm El-Sheikh, including the directors of water, civil defence, traffic, and public security, as well as the head administrator of the city. He called on them to help ensure and preserve the city's cleanliness and security, noting that "not a single problem" occurred over the Eid holiday, despite the influx of holiday-goers during that time. The total occupancy last Saturday was 85% in Sharm El-Sheikh and is expected to rise to 100% at the end of this week, according to Yasser Ibrahim, the governorate's spokesperson. Fouda added many conferences will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh in the next two months, in addition to important meetings with the Prime Minister, Minister of Housing, and Minister of Transport. The port of Nuweiba will be opened at the end of this month. On new housing projects in Sharm El-Sheikh, Fouda added that all administrative offices for government agencies, including offices in underdeveloped areas, will be moved to more central locations. New buildings will also be built in accordance with regulations. He also said that "we do not want to convert Sharm El-Sheikh to concrete blocks, so we must ensure and maintain its status as a global resort," when discussing the 1,000 residential units that are to be built in the city. Fouda said he intends to maintain and develop the city of Mount Sinai, about 100 km from Sharm El-Sheikh, where the Academy of Civil Aviation is located. He also noted that the development of Al-Salam Street will be completed through re-pavement and lighting.
