Local Development Minister discusses joint cooperation with Esri
During the talks, they discussed expanding cooperation in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Egypt's development programs.
The meeting was attended by Hisham al-Helbawy, Assistant Minister for National Projects; Ambassador Hossam Al-Qawish, Assistant Minister for International Cooperation; and several representatives from Esri.
This came during Awad's participation in the Esri User Conference in San Diego, where she received the 2025 SAG Award for the 'Atlas of Egyptian Cities' initiative, a data-driven platform for monitoring urban performance and development gaps.
For her part, Awad said that GIS has become essential to local planning and policy decisions. She outlined the ministry's plans to upgrade the Atlas into a dynamic system that supports investment and decision-making using Esri's technology.
She also proposed new areas for cooperation with Esri, including waste management, land monitoring, asset tracking, and spatial change detection across governorates.
Meanwhile, Dangermond welcomed the progress made by the ministry and expressed readiness to support future initiatives through technical support, capacity building, and tailored solutions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily News Egypt
5 days ago
- Daily News Egypt
Local development minister explores digital transformation of Egyptian cities with Esri
Local Development Minister Manal Awad met with Richard Budden, Director of Local Governments and Smart Cities at global GIS leader Esri, to discuss strengthening the digital capabilities of Egyptian cities through advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 2025 Esri International User Conference in San Diego, California. Also in attendance were Hisham El Helbawy, Assistant Minister for National Projects; Hossam Al Qawish, Assistant Minister for International Cooperation; and several Esri representatives. During the meeting, Awad highlighted the Ministry's conviction that cities are central to driving sustainable development. She stressed that equipping local administrations with accurate, real-time data is the first step towards achieving spatial justice and improving citizens' quality of life. She pointed to the 'Atlas of Egyptian Cities' as a successful model showing how GIS can transform local governance. The atlas, she explained, has enhanced the ability of local authorities to monitor demographic and climate changes, set service and investment priorities, and respond more effectively to emerging challenges. Awad noted that the Ministry is working to build the capacity of governorates to use GIS tools to identify development gaps, analyse service efficiency, and ensure more equitable resource allocation—particularly in medium and small cities, which need integrated and targeted interventions. She also underlined the importance of creating interactive digital platforms at the city level. These platforms, she said, would facilitate data exchange, support urban planning, enable knowledge sharing with global partners, and strengthen crisis response and resilient urban expansion efforts. Richard Budden praised the Ministry's progress in digital transformation and noted that the Atlas of Egyptian Cities has become an important reference for local governments globally on applying GIS in evidence-based policymaking. Budden reaffirmed Esri's commitment to supporting medium and small cities in developing countries and expressed readiness to tailor digital toolkits and platforms to fit the needs of Egyptian cities. He also welcomed the idea of launching training programmes in partnership with the Ministry to help create a new generation of planners and decision-makers skilled in using GIS for daily operations and strategic planning. Awad further emphasised the need to deepen integration between spatial planning tools and public budgeting processes to better align local development priorities with resource allocation. She invited Esri to collaborate on developing flexible, integrated tools to support this alignment. Concluding the meeting, she expressed hope to establish clear implementation steps for cooperation in areas such as local planning, urban monitoring, and managing urban growth. These efforts, she said, aim to build smart, inclusive, and resilient Egyptian cities in line with global sustainable development goals. Both sides agreed to expand technical cooperation between the Ministry of Local Development and Esri, guided by a joint roadmap focused on developing geographic platforms, urban tracking applications, and capacity building as part of Egypt's integrated development strategy.
Egypt Independent
6 days ago
- Egypt Independent
Local Development Minister discusses joint cooperation with Esri
Minister of Local Development Manal Awad met with Jack Dangermond, Founder and Chairman of Esri, on the sidelines of the Esri User Conference held in San Diego, California. During the talks, they discussed expanding cooperation in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Egypt's development programs. The meeting was attended by Hisham al-Helbawy, Assistant Minister for National Projects; Ambassador Hossam Al-Qawish, Assistant Minister for International Cooperation; and several representatives from Esri. This came during Awad's participation in the Esri User Conference in San Diego, where she received the 2025 SAG Award for the 'Atlas of Egyptian Cities' initiative, a data-driven platform for monitoring urban performance and development gaps. For her part, Awad said that GIS has become essential to local planning and policy decisions. She outlined the ministry's plans to upgrade the Atlas into a dynamic system that supports investment and decision-making using Esri's technology. She also proposed new areas for cooperation with Esri, including waste management, land monitoring, asset tracking, and spatial change detection across governorates. Meanwhile, Dangermond welcomed the progress made by the ministry and expressed readiness to support future initiatives through technical support, capacity building, and tailored solutions.
Daily News Egypt
06-07-2025
- Daily News Egypt
Over 215,000 projects funded under Mashrouak, exceeding EGP 33bn in May: Minister
Minister of Local Development Manal Awad has reviewed a progress report on the National Project for Community, Human, and Local Development—known as Mashrouak—from its inception in 2015 through to the end of May 2025. The initiative is a central pillar of the Ministry's strategy to encourage young Egyptians to launch small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), generate sustainable employment opportunities, and reduce unemployment. Awad affirmed that Mashrouak has become one of the Ministry's most effective tools in promoting entrepreneurship, supporting youth and women, and enhancing local development. It contributes directly to the state's broader efforts to harness the potential of young people and raise living standards, particularly in underserved communities. The Minister highlighted that the project continues to deliver strong performance across all governorates, helping to build a resilient base of local economic activity. In May 2025 alone, 1,206 SMEs were launched nationwide with support from approximately EGP 374m in loans, generating 6,077 direct job opportunities. Since the programme's launch, total loans disbursed have exceeded EGP 33bn, financing more than 215,000 projects across Egypt. These ventures have collectively created over 1.43m direct employment opportunities, reinforcing the initiative's role as a driver of inclusive economic development. According to the report submitted to the Minister, lending in May increased by EGP 148m compared to April, with 952 additional projects approved. Micro-enterprises alone accounted for 2,421 direct jobs created in the same month. Awad underscored that Upper Egypt remains a priority for the programme, continuing to receive substantial financial and technical support. The region topped the national list in terms of project implementation during May. Sohag led with 121 projects funded by EGP 55m, followed by Assiut with 118 projects and EGP 54.6m, and Beni Suef with 74 projects receiving EGP 14.3m in loans. In Aswan, 72 projects were financed with loans totalling EGP 52m. Beyond Upper Egypt, several Delta governorates also reported strong activity. Dakahleya saw 118 projects launched with more than EGP 18m in funding, while Sharqeya registered 92 projects backed by EGP 17.5m. Beheira followed with 91 projects receiving EGP 10.6m in loans. Awad concluded by reiterating the Ministry's commitment to expanding the reach of Mashrouak, enhancing access to finance, and supporting Egypt's broader goals of empowering youth, strengthening local economies, and achieving sustainable development across all regions.
