Egypt in midst of construction boom, sustainable development drive gains pace

Oxford Business Group, Arab Contractors team up for COVID-19 Response Report

A new COVID-19 Response Report (CRR), produced by Oxford Business Group (OBG) in partnership with the Arab Contractors, maps out the opportunities that Egypt's far-reaching urbanisation drive is producing for the construction sector and related industries against a backdrop of population growth and economic expansion.
The report shines a spotlight on the country's sustainable development strategy in an easy-to-navigate and accessible format that includes key data and infographics.
It looks in detail at the new cities and mega projects that are under construction or in the pipeline across the country, which range from extensive utility infrastructure to wide-ranging transportation initiatives.
Subscribers will find in-depth coverage of the national drive taking shape to ensure new projects are more technologically advanced, sustainable, and resilient as the country looks to progress towards the UN's sustainable development goals.
The initiatives explored include Egypt's plans to increase its water desalination capacity fourfold, powered mostly by solar energy, and to make the high speed electrical monorail a major focus of its transportation infrastructure development.
Furthermore, the CRR examines how the construction sector responded to the pandemic and retained resilience throughout the health crisis while charting the rollout of key domestic developments and others launched elsewhere, such as the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Plant and Dam that is located in Tanzania.
It also contains a wide-ranging interview with Chairperson and CEO of the Arab Contractors Sayed Farouk in which he shares his thoughts on several topical issues, including how Egypt's construction project pipeline has changed the nature of operations in recent years.
"The series of megaprojects has helped us add value to our operations in recent years and we have worked to ensure projects are completed in a timely manner," he said.
"In order to achieve an accelerated timeline while ensuring projects were completed in line with international standards, we have invested in technology, human resources, and high-quality inputs."
Dana Carmen — OBG's Country Director in Egypt — said that a decision to allow essential construction work in Egypt early on in the pandemic meant progress was made on key infrastructure projects, which in turn had a positive impact on the economy.
"Egypt was one of only a few countries to post positive GDP growth in 2020, with its strong economic performance driven in part by construction activity," she said.
"We expect further expansion across the sector and in related areas of business as the global recovery gathers pace and more of the megaprojects that characterise Egypt's sustainable development strategy are rolled out."
The CRR forms part of a series of tailored studies that the OBG is currently producing with its partners, including ESG and Future Ready reports, and other highly relevant, go-to research tools, including a range of country-specific Growth and Recovery Outlook articles and interviews.