Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly held a meeting on Sunday to review proposals for upgrading the area surrounding the Cairo Citadel and the Zabbaleen district in Manshiet Nasser, directing officials to prepare a comprehensive study of the plans ahead of a dedicated follow-up meeting, the Cabinet said in a statement. The meeting was attended by Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment, as well as Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber, according to the statement. Madbouly said the government is continuing its efforts to develop unplanned areas nationwide, particularly in Cairo, as part of a broader state strategy aimed at improving living conditions and ensuring a dignified quality of life for residents. Awad noted that authorities are closely monitoring the measures taken by governorates to upgrade non-urban and informal areas, especially in the capital, with the aim of restoring Cairo's aesthetic and urban character and addressing negative practices associated with informal development. For his part, Saber presented an overview of the area surrounding the Citadel and the Zabbaleen district, explaining that it is bordered by Autostrad Road to the north, Mokattam to the south, overlooks the Ring Road and Mokattam axes to the east, and is adjacent to the inner residential blocks of Manshiet Nasser to the west. The governor said that around 100,000 residents of Manshiet Nasser work in waste sorting and collection, in addition to approximately 15,000 workers employed in the sector. He added that Cairo generates about 24,000 tonnes of waste daily, of which around 8,000 tonnes are collected and recycled in the Zabbaleen area. Saber submitted a number of development proposals during the meeting, after which Madbouly instructed the relevant authorities to prepare a detailed engineering and technical assessment of the plans ahead of further discussions, the statement said.
