Local Develop Min., World Bank delegation review achievements of Upper Egypt development program

CAIRO - 27 October 2025: Egyptian Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment Dr. Manal Awad received Monday a delegation from the World Bank Group’s Independent Evaluation Committee, headed by Birgit Hansl, Director of Country Programs and Economic Management Unit (IEG) at the World Bank, and including Rashmi Shankar, Chief Economist.

The meeting was also attended by Dr. Hesham El-Helbawy, Assistant Minister for National Projects and Director of the Upper Egypt Local Development Program; Ambassador Hossam El-Kawish, Assistant Minister for International Cooperation; and several members of the program’s coordination office at the Ministry.

In the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Manal Awad welcomed the World Bank delegation, emphasizing the strong partnership between the Ministry and the Bank, which aims to promote sustainable development across Egyptian governorates. She highlighted the Upper Egypt Local Development Program as a distinguished model of cooperation between the Egyptian government and the World Bank that has achieved tangible, wide-ranging successes.

The meeting reviewed the program’s effectiveness in achieving its objectives, particularly in completing infrastructure projects that address local needs in the targeted governorates — Sohag, Qena, Assiut, and Minya. Discussions also covered job creation mechanisms, the development of economic clusters and industrial zones, private sector engagement, and the Ministry’s vision for sustaining the program’s results and preparing for its next phase.

Dr. Awad noted that the program represents one of Egypt’s most successful government initiatives, achieving a qualitative transformation in local administration and advancing concepts of integrated spatial development. It has enhanced the efficiency of local planning, transparency, and service delivery through a results-based approach that invests in infrastructure directly improving citizens’ daily lives.

The Minister emphasized that the program’s effectiveness is evident in its performance indicators, including 100 percent implementation rates across all components and the full disbursement of World Bank loan allocations ahead of schedule, well before the official end of the program in October 2025.

She added that the program has created over 396,000 direct and indirect job opportunities in the beneficiary governorates through more than 5,900 infrastructure and public service projects, significantly stimulating local economic activity. Industrial land occupancy increased to 90 percent in Qena and 87 percent in Sohag, attracting new investments and encouraging private sector expansion.

Dr. Awad expressed her gratitude to the World Bank for its continuous cooperation and support, which contributed to the program’s success in improving living standards in marginalized areas. She noted that the President of the Republic personally follows up on the program’s progress through periodic reports, while the Prime Minister regularly reviews developments in coordination with the program’s steering committee.

Dr. Hesham El-Helbawy highlighted the program’s role in achieving comprehensive institutional reform in local administration by empowering governorates to make strategic decisions and strengthening the executive capacity of local institutions through local implementation units. He noted the program’s success in enhancing citizen participation in decision-making through participatory planning, fostering trust between citizens and the government, and improving service outcomes.

For her part, Birgit Hansl commended the effectiveness of the Upper Egypt Local Development Program and congratulated the Egyptian government on its accomplishments, particularly in supporting private sector growth, creating jobs, achieving key targets, and earning multiple international awards.

Concluding the meeting, Dr. Manal Awad reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to sustaining the program’s outcomes, integrating its policies into national frameworks, and continuing to enhance the capabilities of local administration to ensure long-term, inclusive development across Upper Egypt.