Ashraf AboArafe
07 February 2024, CAIRO – British Ambassador to Egypt Gareth Bayley and Deputy Chairman of The New Urban Communities Authority, Eng. Amin Ghoneim, signed a Sustainable Cities and Infrastructure Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) yesterday, which will deepen both countries’ cooperation in the area of infrastructure development.
Deputy Minister for Infrastructure at the Egyptian Ministry of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, Dr Sayed Ismail, was in attendance to oversee the signing.
The new partnership between the UK and the Government of Egypt will boost cooperation in the development of sustainable cities and infrastructure in Egypt, including establishing a joint working group that will meet twice a year in London and Cairo. This working group will bring together government bodies and industry representatives from both countries to exchange technical knowledge, training, expertise and best practice in the prioritisation, financing, and management of infrastructure projects.
The MoU aims to position both countries to draw on their strengths to support the delivery of infrastructure projects in Egypt. It will seek to grow the bilateral trading relationship and increase foreign investment into the Egyptian construction sector. Projects will be identified by the working group and delivered in accordance with international quality and sustainability standards.
The British Ambassador to Egypt, Gareth Bayley, said “This agreement reinforces our commitment to sustainable development, fostering economic growth, and attracting foreign investment into the Egyptian infrastructure sector. It sets yet another example of a stronger and growing green partnership between both our countries, while boosting bilateral trade relations. I am confident this collaboration will pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient future for Egypt.”
The two countries already share a strong trading relationship. Total trade in goods and services between the UK and Egypt was £4.9 billion in the four quarters to the end of quarter two in 2023, while total UK exports to Egypt amounted to £2.6 billion in the same period.
The MoU also builds upon the UK and Egypt’s commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and action on climate change. In November 2022, Egypt, as COP27 President, developed the Sustainable Urban Resilience for the Next Generation Initiative in collaboration with the UN. The initiative is committed to achieving sustainable and resilient urban cities, which the UK and Egypt are dedicated to delivering via this MoU. The new agreement commits both countries to making progress on the sustainable development goals and climate change mitigation and adaption, including by deploying innovative climate technologies.
