Minister of Local Development Manal Awad participated in a key session titled “Enhancing Local Economic Development through Innovative Financing,” held in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Beni Suef Governorate during the second day of the World Urban Forum at the Manara Conference Center, Invest-Gate reports.

Joined by Mohamed Ghoniem, Governor of Beni Suef; Khaled Abd El Halem, Governor of Qena, Hisham El Helbawy, Assistant Minister for National Projects; and Guimar Deb, UNDP. Deputy Resident Representative, Awad emphasized Egypt’s focus on sustainable financing at the community level.

“This forum provides a valuable opportunity to explore innovative financing mechanisms that support sustainable development goals at the local level, aligning with one of the forum’s core themes of localized financing,” Awad remarked, noting the critical role of partnerships across government, international agencies, and the private sector in overcoming financial barriers to development.

Awad acknowledged that funding remains one of the biggest development challenges and stressed the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration—including national and local governments, UN agencies, international financial institutions, the private sector, and civil society—to address diverse community needs.

Expressing appreciation for the session’s diversity, she highlighted Beni Suef’s pioneering efforts in innovative financing and local economic development strategies, which serve as a model in Egypt’s pursuit of sustainable growth.