ABU DHABI // Egypt’s health, education and agriculture sectors will receive a much-needed boost after the UAE approved millions of dirhams worth of projects.
Across Egypt, 78 health centres, 25 grain silos, railway crossings, 1,488 housing units and hundreds of schools will be built in the next few years, all funded by the UAE.
Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State, recently visited projects in Egypt to inspect their progress, reported Al Ittihad, the Arabic-language sister newspaper of The National.
He visited the Kum Al Mumenean health centre, in Qena, near Luxor, which was being built for Dh792,852, complete with all needed medical equipment.
The centre will cover 285 square metres and will have several clinics and specialty departments, including dental and family medicine, and an emergency ward.
“Those working in the province and local councils have expressed their happiness with Dr Al Jaber’s visit and his delegation to Qena,” said Maj Gen Abdulhameed Al Hagan, the mayor.
“The province community celebrated their arrival with air horns and music, and national songs and horses, in honour of the UAE for their stand with Egypt.”
Work has already begun on the building, which is expected to be completed by May. About 15,000 people in the area should benefit from it.
Other projects in Qena include eight other health centres, to be completed in August, and 1,488 housing units to be given to those most in need, and to youth.
Twenty-eight schools will also be built in the province.
In Al Qasr, a UAE grant will help to build a number of grain silos to ensure food security. Work will start next month.
In Luxor, three health centres will be renovated at a cost of Dh3.9 million, and another grain silo will be built.
All projects will be carried out by the engineering authority of the Egyptian armed forces.
The mayor of Luxor, Maj Gen Tariq Al Dean, expressed his gratitude to the UAE, and said its support will also boost tourism.
Gen Al Dean said 3,000 schoolchildren in the area recently received new clothing from the UAE as part of a charity campaign.
In mid-July the President, Sheikh Khalifa, ordered the launch of the “Egypt in Our Hearts” campaign to raise money for the forgotten people in the nation.
Emirates Red Crescent, which is running the campaign, said aid would come in the form of food, medicine and educational assistance.
osalem@thenational.ae
