Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi said, on Sunday, that the coming period will witness the implementation of a major plan to achieve high development rates in Sinai.
During his speech, while inspecting the line-up of equipment participating in the development and reconstruction of Sinai, the Egyptian president stressed that the success of the various state agencies in blocking terrorism allowed the state to implement the comprehensive development plan for Sinai.
Al-Sisi added that terrorism was affecting people’s lives and not only development projects, continuing: “Terrorism was affecting people’s lives because when there was no safety, people could not live, and thanks to Allah, the army and police ended this crisis.”
He also said that it was targeted to turn Sinai into a permanent hotbed of terrorism, the plan which the Egyptian state confronted with all force and succeeded in preventing it. “The sacrifices of the Sinai’s residents are considered and appreciated.”
The president pointed out that the Egyptian state was not implementing development and reconstruction projects in Sinai due to their high costs, saying: “Sinai has a land area of about 60,000 km2, so implementing road networks and power stations there requires huge funds. The cost of development in Sinai is high, and this impeded development during the past period.”
Al-Sisi noted that the Egyptian state continues to be targeted with rumours and fabrications, after we succeeded in undermining the terrorist plot. He noted that the understanding and awareness that characterizes the Egyptian people is a strong guarantee for protecting the country from all dangers.
The president mentioned that the state seeks to increase the inhabited area of the country to 12% through the establishment of new cities, pointing out that the area of Sinai is equivalent to the area in which the population of Egypt lives. “Production projects in Sinai will start operation by the end of this year.”
The Egyptian President thanked some of the heads of companies implementing some works and projects in Sinai while following up on the state’s plan for the development and reconstruction of Sinai, in the city of Ismailia.
