Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly chaired a high-level meeting to review the progress of the first phase of the presidential initiative, “Hayah Karima”, aimed at developing rural Egyptian villages, Invest-Gate reports. The meeting focused on the final stages of the first phase and preparations for the second phase, slated to begin in the upcoming fiscal year. Attendees included senior officials from relevant ministries, the Armed Forces Engineering Authority, and Dar Al-Handasah consultancy.

Madbouly emphasized the urgency of completing the first phase’s projects to ensure swift delivery of services to residents. He stressed the importance of prioritizing sanitation projects, which he described as a critical demand for rural communities, calling for their immediate completion.

During the meeting, Randa Al-Menshawy, First Assistant to the Prime Minister, outlined challenges in securing funding for the first phase and the projected financial requirements for the second phase. She highlighted the need to equip and operationalize government service complexes established in the first phase.

Dar Al-Handasah representatives presented detailed progress reports, noting that the first phase encompassed 27,334 operations across targeted villages. They provided updates on completed sectors and those nearing completion, with a revised timeline for remaining tasks.

Planning Minister Rania Al-Mashat reported that 18 million citizens across 1,477 villages benefited from the first phase. She highlighted significant improvements, including a 366% increase in natural gas service subscribers, a 58% rise in sanitation services, and a 41% boost in high-speed internet access.

Madbouly concluded by directing weekly progress reviews, ensuring the timely delivery of critical infrastructure projects and maximizing public benefit.