A total of 22 investors have received land plots free of charge in the country’s southern cities of Sohag and Assiut, Invest-Gate reports.

The land plots, spanning an area of 34,000 square meters, are the first allocated to investors since the Supreme Council for Investment has agreed to offer industrial zones for free to investors in Upper Egypt.

In a released statement, the Ministry of Trade and Industry says that the land plots will be allotted in Sohag for 13 projects covering the industries of food, chemicals, and engineering. Meanwhile, other land plots will be earmarked in Assuit for nine projects covering the fields of construction materials, engineering projects, and food factories.

Minister of Trade and Industry Tareq Qabil says that the ministry is currently working on preparing equipped industrial zones, in the governorates of Qena, Beni Suef, Aswan, Sohag, Luxor and Minya.