Cairo: The UAE government on Tuesday handed over hundreds of successfully completed projects undertaken by the UAE in Egypt.
The projects in critical sectors-- such as health, education, transport and infrastructure -- are part of a massive UAE development assistance programme pledged a year ago.
The completion of the projects comes on the eve of Egypt’s much anticipated inauguration of the New Suez Canal on Thursday, in which the UAE has also played a significant supporting role.
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The milestone event, in which Dr Sultan Bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of the Coordination Office of the UAE-funded Development Projects in Egypt, signed off on the completion of the UAE projects along with four Egyptian ministers, took place at the Egyptian Prime Minister, Ebrahim Mahlab’s office on Tuesday.
“These projects reflect the strategic relationship between the two countries and we are grateful to the UAE leadership and people for standing by Egypt as it implements a road map for economic recovery,” Mahlab told UAE and Egyptian media during the ceremony.
Dr Al Jaber said the relationship between Egypt and the UAE is going from strength to strength.
“The relationship between the UAE and Egypt is based on pillars of solid foundations laid down by the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and evolved over time to become one of the most important bilateral relations that the UAE shares with another country,” he said.
Houses for low-income families
The projects include 50,016 houses for low-income Egyptian families, 100 schools with 1,668 classrooms across 18 governorates to serve 67,000 students, 78 fully equipped clinics in 23 governorates to serve 780,000 people in 78 remote villages, renovating or constructing 25 wheat silos with a total capacity of 1.5 million tons, thereby doubling Egypt’s wheat storage capacity, providing solar energy for 30,275 homes in 70 villages, providing Cairo with 600 new buses to boost public transport and building 4 new bridges in the most congested areas in major urban centres. The UAE development and infrastructure projects will positively impact 8 million Egyptians and have created 900,000 new jobs, Dr Al Jaber added.
“We have promised to deliver and we fulfilled our promise,” the minister said, adding that the success of the UAE programme was due to “the close supervision of the UAE leadership which values our historic relationship with Egypt.
“UAE-Egypt relations have continued to grow under the leadership of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, adding that over the years, the two countries have collaborated in many fields, including through the exchange of knowledge and expertise, which has significantly impacted in strengthening mutual brotherly bonds,” he said.
Rebuilding Egypt
Since June 30, 2013, Dr Al Jaber said, “the UAE has helped Egypt to rebuild, reinvigorate and regain its rightful place as a regional powerhouse and linchpin of stability and economic development for our part of the world.”
“When the Egyptian economy and society began to struggle following a period of instability from late 2010 until June 2013, the UAE leadership issued directives vowing to stand by Egypt, and contribute to its stability and the process of strengthening its economic and social development,” he added.
The current phase of the UAE programme has been spearheaded by the Coordination Office, which was set up in consultation with the Egyptian government to determine the country’s urgent needs.
“The strategic goal of the office is to provide support to Egypt, including implementing vital projects in the energy, housing, food security, education and vocational training, health care, and transportation fields,” Dr Al Jaber said.
The UAE also contributed to mobilising economic and political support for Egypt through a number of international and regional forums, including last year’s investment forum.
Schools
The UAE has turned over 100 schools with 1,668 classrooms to Egypt on Tuesday, August 4, 2015. The handover event, which took place at the Egyptian Prime Minister, Ebrahim Mahlab’s office on Tuesday, saw Dr Sultan Bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of the Coordination Office of the UAE-funded Development Projects in Egypt, signing off on the completed UAE projects along with four Egyptian ministers. The completion of the projects comes on the eve of Egypt’s much anticipated inauguration of the New Suez Canal on Thursday, in which the UAE has also played a significant supporting role.
Healthcare
The UAE has handed over to Egypt on Tuesday 78 fully-equipped clinics in 23 governorates to serve 780,000 people in 78 remote villages as part of a social and economic development programme. The projects also include 50,016 houses for low-income Egyptian families, 100 schools with 1,668 classrooms across 18 governorates to serve 67,000 students. The handover event, which took place at the Egyptian Prime Minister, Ebrahim Mahlab’s office on Tuesday, saw Dr Sultan Bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of the Coordination Office of the UAE-funded Development Projects in Egypt, signing off on the completed UAE projects along with four Egyptian ministers. The completion of the projects comes on the eve of Egypt’s much anticipated inauguration of the New Suez Canal on Thursday, in which the UAE has also played a significant supporting role.
Transportation
The UAE has provided Cairo with 600 new buses to boost public transport and helped build four new bridges in the most congested areas in major urban centres as part of development and infrastructure development programme. The projects, formally handed over in a ceremony on Tuesday, are expected to positively impact 8 million Egyptians and have created 900,000 new jobs. Part of the development projects also include renovating or constructing 25 wheat silos with a total capacity of 1.5 million tons, doubling Egypt’s wheat storage capacity, providing solar energy for 30,275 homes in 70 villages. The handover event, which took place at the Egyptian Prime Minister, Ebrahim Mahlab’s office on Tuesday, saw Dr Sultan Bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of the Coordination Office of the UAE-funded Development Projects in Egypt, signing off on the completed UAE projects along with four Egyptian ministers. The completion of the projects comes on the eve of Egypt’s much anticipated inauguration of the New Suez Canal on Thursday, in which the UAE has also played a significant supporting role.
