During his current visit to China, Eng. Sherif El Sherbini, Egypt’s Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, met with Mr. Ni Hong, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China, at the headquarters of the Chinese Ministry of Housing in Beijing to discuss ways to enhance future cooperation, Invest-Gate reports.

The meeting was attended by Ambassador Khaled Nazmy, Egypt’s Ambassador to Beijing; Mr. Khaled Melad, Chairman of the Egyptian Commercial Office at the Egyptian Embassy in Beijing; and several officials from the Egyptian and Chinese Ministries of Housing.

During the meeting, the Chinese minister pointed out that during a meeting between the leadership of the two nations, an agreement was reached to deepen the strategic partnership, and he expressed his desire to enhance cooperation between the Egyptian and Chinese Ministries of Housing in the fields of infrastructure, urban modernization, and development.

El Sherbini stated, “We are working to expand our framework for joint cooperation in various fields with China, in accordance with the directives of the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, which align with those of the Chinese President Xi Jinping.”

He added that their goal is to enhance cooperation in areas related to the work of the Ministry of Housing. A top priority during this visit to China was to inspect some of the projects implemented by the China State Construction Corporation (CSCEC) in various cities.

This allowed them to observe the latest management, operation, and maintenance systems for financial and business centers, in preparation for operating the Central Business District in the New Administrative Capital.

He referred to his meeting with with the Chairman of CSCEC to follow up on the implementation status of the New Administrative Capital and New Alamein projects, emphasizing their commitment to specific implementation programs and quality standards while discussing avenues for joint cooperation.

Additionally, El Sherbini presented opportunities for joint cooperation based on three main pillars. The first is opening avenues for cooperation in various investment projects in new cities, including industrial, tourism, and hotel sectors.

He highlighted the significant progress achieved by the Egyptian state in infrastructure, citing New Alamein City, which has a distinct industrial zone suitable for investments, particularly in projects needed by the Ministry of Housing in the utilities sector. New Alamein City also offers unique tourism and hotel opportunities, with a readiness to enter into partnerships with the Chinese side in these areas by providing necessary land.

The second pillar involves forming joint alliances between Egyptian and Chinese companies to collaborate on various projects, especially in Africa. He mentioned the Arab Contractors Company, which has successfully implemented numerous development projects on the continent, as an example. These alliances will provide opportunities to execute a large number of projects.

The third pillar is the potential for collaboration in low-cost housing projects for low-income individuals. El Sherbini pointed to the Ministry of Housing’s efforts to implement about one million housing units for this demographic in the past, announcing that another 500,000 units are currently under construction.