Egypt has executed water and wastewater projects worth EGP 12.7bn in the Northwest Coast region over the past year, Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities Sherif El-Sherbiny announced during a visit to Matrouh on Saturday. El-Sherbiny met with Governor Khaled Shuaib at the governorate headquarters to follow up on development and service projects being implemented by the Ministry of Housing. The discussions reviewed progress on projects carried out by the Central Agency for Reconstruction through the Northwest Coast Reconstruction Authority. Head of the Authority, Amoun Mortada, reported that 71 projects have been completed or are underway, including the Siwa–Matrouh dual road, paved with concrete over 300 kilometres in length and 11.25 metres in width. A total of 158 kilometres was inaugurated and opened to traffic on 30 June. The review also covered projects implemented since 2014, which encompass a network of secondary "developmental roads" linking population clusters with main transport routes, with a combined length of about 675 kilometres. Additional works include upgrading the Siwa–Bahy El-Din road (23 km), as well as improving roads east and west of Matrouh with a total length of 77 km. The meeting also discussed desertification control projects scheduled through 2025, targeting valley areas in Matrouh to enhance living standards and stimulate development. These initiatives are being carried out under the state's annual investment plan. Further, the minister and governor reviewed projects serving Bedouin villages, alongside cooperation with other ministries and state bodies on rainwater harvesting schemes, a semi-automated slaughterhouse in El-Hamam, and a planned modern transport hub on 15 feddans at kilometre 12, the entrance to Marsa Matrouh City. El-Sherbiny and Shuaib also reviewed projects implemented and under implementation by the National Authority for Potable Water and Wastewater across Matrouh between 2014 and 2025, including 10 water projects with a combined capacity of 80,000 cubic metres/day at a cost of EGP 2.182 billion, and four wastewater treatment plants with a total capacity of 71,000 cubic metres/day. Projects under the state's investment plan include four new water plants with a combined production capacity of 84,000 cubic metres/day, six sanitation plants with a capacity of 76,000 cubic metres/day, and city sanitation networks, with a total estimated cost of EGP 8.308bn. Chairman of the Matrouh Drinking Water and Wastewater Company, Ibrahim Khaled, noted that the governorate is supplied with 475,000 cubic metres/day of potable water from purification plants, seawater desalination facilities, groundwater plants, and 177 water tank trucks, supported by extensive networks and pipelines. The wastewater system, meanwhile, includes treatment plants with a total capacity of about 124,000 cubic metres/day, along with 59 wastewater units, pipelines, and a 2,055-feddan forest plantation project. Concluding the meeting, Minister El-Sherbiny emphasised the importance of prioritising strategic projects such as roads and flood protection while expediting ongoing works to ensure timely completion.
