Egypt’s House of Representatives has approved three presidential decrees related to agreements worth $92.5m, signed between the country’s Ministry of International Cooperation and several development partners.
The agreements are set to focus on a range of projects across Egypt, namely renovation of the Cairo Metro, developing higher education, and addressing reproductive health and rights gaps.
They include the 14 June agreement, worth €50m, signed between the Egyptian government and France’s Agence Française de Développement (AFD), that will finance rehabilitation work on the Cairo Metro’s Line 1.
The project aims to renew and modernise the full 44km of Line 1, which is also linked to Lines 2 and 3 of the Cairo Metro. It will also maintain the metro network’s operations and services during its continuous expansion and the increasing demand it faces from customers.
The second agreement covers the aid grant agreement signed by the Egyptian and US governments, which will go towards the Egyptian-American Higher Education Initiative.
Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat clarified that, under this agreement, $30m will be pumped into the initiative. The aim is to create an educated workforce that meets the needs of Egypt’s labour market, whilst also strengthening the capacities of Egypt’s higher education institutions.
On 9 July, Minister Al-Mashat signed six new grant agreements with the US Agency for International Development (USAID), worth a total of $90m. The finance will go towards implementing a number of priority development projects in basic education, higher education, scientific research, science and technology, health, agriculture, trade and investment.
The third agreement to gain the Egyptian parliament’s ratification covers a Canadian grant to finance the implementation of a project addressing gaps in reproductive health and rights in Egypt.
Minister Al-Mashat said that the grant will go towards a United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)-implemented project entitled “Addressing gaps in reproductive health and rights in Egypt”.
The project aims to support women by increasing awareness on family planning services and providing access to health services. The project will be conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Population, as well as the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
On 11 July, the minister announced the signing of two grant agreements with the Canadian Embassy, worth a total of C$14m. The finance has been granted to Egypt’s health sector, whilst also providing socio-economic support for women’s empowerment, and reproductive health and rights nationwide. It comes under the umbrella of a bilateral cooperation programme between Egypt and Canada.
