During a press conference for the World Urban Forum, Engineer Sherif El-Sherbiny, Egypt’s Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, expressed his gratitude to UN-Habitat for selecting Egypt to host one of the most significant global forums on sustainable urban development. The event was attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Ms. Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat.
El-Sherbiny emphasized that Egypt has witnessed an unprecedented urban transformation under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, focusing primarily on improving the quality of life for citizens. He noted that Egypt has successfully addressed long-standing urban challenges and made significant strides in enhancing living standards, as evidenced by the 2020 UN-Habitat Award presented to Egypt’s New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA) for its contributions to sustainable development.
Global Urban Challenges and Egypt’s Role
One of Egypt’s key goals in hosting the World Urban Forum is to discuss global urban challenges with international governments, private companies, civil institutions, and academics from over 175 countries. The forum will showcase pioneering examples of achieving sustainable development goals, including Egypt’s own experience. Since 2014, Egypt has implemented a national housing policy as part of the ambitious “Housing for All Egyptians” initiative, aimed at providing affordable housing for all citizens.
El-Sherbiny highlighted Egypt’s success in addressing informal settlements, particularly unsafe and unplanned areas, by providing alternative housing with essential services. He added that the forum would offer an opportunity to review urbanization issues in line with the New Urban Agenda and Egypt’s Vision 2030, while discussing strategies for addressing challenges such as unplanned migration from rural areas, urban sprawl, and securing funding for sustainable urban solutions.
Technological Transformation and Smart Cities
The minister also underscored the forum’s focus on technological transformation in cities, where the human element remains central. He expressed pride in Egypt’s achievements in building smart cities, including the New Administrative Capital and New Alamein City, which are part of Egypt’s fourth-generation smart cities initiative. These projects have doubled Egypt’s habitable and livable space from 7% to 14%, in line with a national strategy for smart cities.
El-Sherbiny concluded by stating that Egypt’s accumulated experience in addressing urban challenges over the past decade has become a model that can be replicated globally. He emphasized the importance of international cooperation in completing ongoing projects and launching new ones to achieve sustainable development, a goal that Egypt and the global community share.
