Sayed Ismail, Deputy Minister for Infrastructure Affairs, inaugurated the second edition of the international exhibition and conference activities “Egypt…Water, Sanitation, and Infrastructure – Blue Economy” on behalf of Assem El-Gazzar, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, Invest-Gate reports.

The conference, held under the patronage of the Prime Minister, witnessed the presence of officials from numerous local and international organizations and bodies operating in the drinking water and sanitation sector. More than 40 international companies participated in the event, which was organized by the international “Expotech” group, the official organizer of the German government’s pavilions abroad, in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities.

During his opening speech, Ismail welcomed the attendees and conveyed the greetings of El-Gazzar, expressing his wishes for the exhibition and the conference’s success. He highlighted the achievements made since 2014, with the drinking water service coverage increasing from 97% to approximately 98.7% at the national level. Similarly, the sanitation service coverage has risen from 50% in 2014 to 67% currently, along with various projects focusing on enhancing efficiency, replacement, and renewal.

Ismail emphasized the ministry’s commitment to improving the performance of service providers in the drinking water and sanitation facilities sector, implementing various methods of operation and maintenance to safeguard investments and ensure the sustainability of services.

He also mentioned the Ministry of Housing’s efforts to encourage private sector participation in implementing strategies for the drinking water and sanitation facilities sector and promoting local manufacturing of all supplies, in line with the state ownership policy document.