Eng. Randa El-Menshawy:
The New Urban Agenda should not be measured by the volume of announced commitments, but by the extent to which they are translated into integrated national policies, effective institutions, and tangible outcomes.

Over the past ten years, Egypt has translated the three principles of the New Urban Agenda into an integrated national action framework.

One of the region’s largest affordable housing programs has been implemented, with more than 1.5 million housing units delivered since 2014.

The presidential initiative “Decent Life” (Hayah Karima) marked a major shift in narrowing spatial gaps between rural and urban areas.

Drinking water coverage increased to 99%, while sanitation coverage reached 70% in 2025.
Moving toward 2036, Egypt’s priorities include expanding affordable housing through more flexible financing mechanisms for the most vulnerable groups and completing the phases of Hayah Karima.

Egypt adopted the National Urban Policy in 2023 and launched national strategies for smart cities and green urban development.

Egypt affirms that achieving the New Urban Agenda requires practical partnerships, adequate financing, strong institutions, and people-centered policies.

Eng. Randa El-Menshawy, Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, headed the Egyptian delegation participating in the 13th edition of the World Urban Forum (WUF) under the theme: “Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities,” held from May 17–22, 2026, with broad participation from governments, international organizations, experts, and specialists in housing and sustainable urban development, Invest-Gate reports.

Egypt Reaffirms Commitment to Implementing the New Urban Agenda

Eng. Randa El-Menshawy delivered the statement of the Arab Republic of Egypt during the ministerial meeting on the New Urban Agenda, expressing Egypt’s appreciation for participating in this important meeting, which represents a key milestone in following up on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda, as part of preparations for the midterm review scheduled to be presented before the United Nations General Assembly in July 2026.

The Minister of Housing stressed that the New Urban Agenda should not be measured solely by the scale of declared commitments, but by how effectively they are translated into integrated national policies, active institutions, and tangible outcomes directly reflected in citizens’ quality of life, ensuring sustainable and inclusive urban development.

More Than 1.5 Million Housing Units Delivered Under Affordable Housing Programs

The minister noted that over the past decade, Egypt translated the three pillars of the New Urban Agenda — social inclusion and poverty eradication, inclusive urban prosperity, and environmental sustainability and resilience — into integrated national action across housing, basic services, rural development, social protection, and governance sectors.

Within this framework, Egypt implemented one of the region’s largest affordable housing programs, delivering more than 1.5 million housing units since 2014, including social and green housing projects, while expanding access to adequate housing for low- and middle-income groups.

She pointed out that the state successfully redeveloped all officially classified unsafe areas through a participatory approach combining safe removal and resettlement into fully equipped urban communities. These efforts contributed to protecting human dignity, enhancing community safety, and improving quality of life in Egyptian cities.

“Hayah Karima” Initiative Reduced Urban-Rural Gaps

The minister added that in rural areas, the presidential initiative “Hayah Karima” (Decent Life) represented a major transformation in reducing spatial disparities between rural and urban communities by providing drinking water, sanitation, roads, electricity, healthcare, and educational services to more than 4,500 villages.

These efforts strengthened community stability, reduced internal migration drivers, and enhanced rural communities’ resilience. Drinking water coverage increased to 99%, while sanitation coverage reached 70% in 2025, positively impacting public health, spatial equity, and living standards.

Eng. El-Menshawy explained that this transformation would not have been possible without an integrated social protection network and supportive public policies, led by the “Takaful and Karama” programs, which provided direct cash support to vulnerable families, elderly citizens, people with disabilities, and female-headed households.

These programs strengthened social protection and eased living burdens, especially for women, children, and vulnerable groups. The state also supported women and youth empowerment while linking social protection with economic empowerment and employment opportunities.

National Urban Policies and Strategies for Smart and Green Cities

On governance and planning, the Minister stated that Egypt adopted the National Urban Policy in 2023 and launched national strategies for smart cities and green urban development during the 12th edition of WUF held in Cairo in 2024, alongside upgrading related legislative and regulatory frameworks.

The state also strengthened integration between urban planning and climate considerations by incorporating energy efficiency, resilience, and green transition principles into policies and new urban projects.

She added that regarding innovation in policies and financing — representing a unified vision for the housing sector over the next twenty years — the strategy aims to ensure citizens’ right to adequate housing that improves quality of life.

The strategy is based on four main pillars addressing urban redevelopment areas, existing housing stock and vacant units, low-income housing, and achieving sustainable housing goals.

The minister further noted that the Social Housing and Mortgage Finance Support Fund was established under Law No. 93 of 2018. Egypt also launched green bonds mechanisms, public-private partnerships, and established the Urban Development Fund as an innovative tool to maximize land value and finance urban regeneration.

In addition, Egypt prepared voluntary national reports in 2021 and 2025 to monitor implementation of the New Urban Agenda through an evidence-based participatory approach involving government entities, civil society, the private sector, and international partners, reinforcing transparency and accountability.

Egypt’s Priorities Toward 2036

The minister emphasized that challenges remain, including the widening gap between housing costs and household incomes, the persistence of unplanned urban growth, the need to deepen decentralization and strengthen local capacities in planning and data collection, climate risks, unequal access to basic services, and the need for greater integration between sectoral and spatial planning.

Eng. El-Menshawy stated that moving toward 2036, Egypt’s priorities include expanding affordable housing with more flexible financing mechanisms for vulnerable groups, completing the phases of Hayah Karima, strengthening rural-urban connectivity, mainstreaming digital planning and climate responsiveness within the National Urban Development Policy framework, integrating the New Urban Agenda into all national sectoral plans, deepening decentralization, expanding international and regional partnerships, mobilizing innovative financing, and promoting knowledge transfer and expertise exchange.

The Minister concluded by expressing Egypt’s hope that the outcomes of the meeting would contribute to enriching the midterm review process in July 2026.

She reaffirmed that achieving the New Urban Agenda requires practical partnerships, sufficient financing, strong institutions, and policies that place people at the center of development, ensuring that no one is left behind.