Egypt's Ministry of International Cooperation and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have signed an agreement for development funds worth €109m to provide integrated sanitation services in rural areas of Luxor Governorate. The AfDB will provide financing of €108m in addition to a grant of €1m, with the project set to benefit some 22,000 households in the governorate. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, praised the strategic relations between her ministry and the AfDB, which have contributed to the provision of many development funds in various sectors. These have helped enhance the state's efforts to achieve sustainable development across the country. The minister said that the development financing supports the achievement of many sustainable development goals (SDGs). She also said that, with only a decade remaining until 2030, the Ministry of International Cooperation is making every effort through the principles of economic diplomacy, to strengthen international partnerships. These aim to accelerate Egypt's pace of development in line with the UN SDGs. Minister Al-Mashat added that the housing sector and water and sewage networks were among those sectors that have benefited most from the $1.4bn worth of development funds. This included $500m allocated to social housing projects, and $900m for water and sanitation networks. The AfDB was also among those development partners providing these financing. For his part, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities Assem El Gazzar noted the importance of the project that will be implemented in Luxor Governorate through the AfDB's funding. A total of 162,000 citizens will benefit from the project at the beginning, with a further 236,000 citizens to benefit in the long term, in addition to 30,000 farmers. For her part, Malin Bloomberg, the AfDB's Deputy Regional Director for North Africa and the bank's Regional Representative in Cairo, said that the project to be implemented strengthens Egypt's strategy to achieve sustainable development. This also supports the efforts to provide clean water and sanitation services to Upper Egypt. It is worth noting that the volume of the ongoing cooperation portfolio between the Ministry of International Cooperation and the AfDB amounts to about $640.8m. These cover various development sectors, including electricity, health, global research, entrepreneurship, budget support, drinking water, and sanitation.
