Minister of Local Development Manal Awad met with a delegation from the World Bank, including Ellen Olafsen, Senior Specialist in Private Sector Engagement, and Zeeshan Kareem, Senior Urban Specialist, alongside other bank representatives. Also attending were Hisham El-Helbawy, Assistant Minister for National Projects and Director of the Local Development Program in Upper Egypt, along with members of the program's coordination office at the Ministry of Local Development. During the Wednesday meeting, Minister Awad underscored the significant progress achieved through the Local Development Program in Upper Egypt over the past seven years. She noted that 5,633 projects have been successfully executed across vital sectors, including drinking water, sanitation, electricity, roads, and urban development, with total investments exceeding EGP 27.05bn. Awad reaffirmed the ministry's commitment to its strategic partnership with the World Bank in advancing local development. She emphasized ongoing collaboration with relevant ministries to implement leadership directives aimed at accelerating decentralization and promoting sustainable urban development through the Local Development Program in Upper Egypt and the Egyptian Sustainable Cities Initiative. She further highlighted the recent High Steering Committee meeting for the Local Development Program in Upper Egypt, chaired by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and attended by Kamel Al-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development, along with other relevant ministers. The meeting resulted in key decisions to enhance program outcomes, improve the local investment climate, and expedite infrastructure projects within the four industrial zones in Sohag and Qena, aiming to increase their occupancy rates. Assistant Minister Hisham El-Helbawy outlined the program's impact on economic development, citing a 22.5% improvement in the business environment in Sohag and Qena and a 26.3% improvement in Minya and Assiut. This has facilitated the creation of 369,000 direct and indirect job opportunities through investments in small and medium-sized enterprises. He further elaborated on the program's success in upgrading infrastructure across four strategic industrial zones in Sohag and Qena. The first phase achieved 96% completion in Qeft and Al-Huwa in Qena and 72.5% completion in West Gerga and West Tahta in Sohag, resulting in a 44% increase in industrial zone occupancy rates. These developments have directly enhanced the competitiveness of targeted governorates and attracted new investments. El-Helbawy also highlighted the program's role in modernizing local administration by developing 45 technology centers across local units, significantly improving the efficiency of government services. These upgrades have reduced processing times for essential licenses and services by 50% to 60%, reinforcing public trust in the government's ability to meet citizens' needs. Ellen Olafsen, Senior Specialist in Private Sector Engagement at the World Bank, praised the tangible developmental outcomes of the Local Development Program in Upper Egypt. She emphasized the World Bank's continued commitment to working with the Ministry of Local Development, particularly in fostering economic clusters, advancing industrial zone development, and integrating the private sector into their management and operations. She further commended the program's contributions to enhancing the business environment in Upper Egypt, noting increased satisfaction among business owners, private sector stakeholders, and citizens regarding the government's development initiatives. Zeeshan Kareem, Senior Urban Specialist at the World Bank, lauded the Ministry of Local Development's role in the World Urban Forum, where it successfully showcased Egypt's local and international efforts in sustainable urban development, economic growth, and city resilience. This collaboration led to the launch of the Atlas of Egyptian Cities and the Decentralization Initiative. She reaffirmed the World Bank's commitment to supporting the Ministry of Local Development in expanding the reach of comprehensive sustainability-focused programs to other governorates. Kareem noted that the Local Development Program in Upper Egypt stands out as one of the most successful World Bank-backed development initiatives in the Middle East and globally, citing its profound achievements in local administration, economic growth, and employment generation.
