Sherif El Sherbini, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, gave a detailed presentation on the Egyptian urban experience, at the ministerial session of African housing ministers, Invest-Gate reports.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Anacláudia Rossbach, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, along with several ministers, officials, and real estate developers.

El Sherbini delved into the challenges of urban development in Egypt, Egypt’s Vision 2030 for sustainable development, and the government’s initiatives to enhance the quality of life and the efficiency of the urban environment.

These efforts include transforming unsafe areas, providing alternative housing, ensuring suitable and affordable housing for all Egyptians, enhancing the urban environment of existing cities, revitalizing historical and significant areas, and fostering a new generation of smart cities known as “fourth generation cities.” Additionally, there is a focus on improving the efficiency of previous generations of new cities.

The minister elaborated on the urban development challenges posed by rapid population growth and population concentration in specific regions of the country. He highlighted the government’s successful endeavor to double the Egyptian inhabited area from 7% to 14% and the ongoing efforts to increase it further to approximately 17.5% to 18% in the upcoming years.

El Sherbini emphasized that Egypt’s Vision 2030 for sustainable development aims to realize comprehensive sustainable development and balanced regional growth across economic, social, and environmental dimensions.