Latest news with #DecentLife
Egypt Today
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Egypt Today
PM Madbouly follows up on funding of ‘Haya Karima' initiative projects
CAIRO -19 June 2025: Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly chaired a meeting on Thursday to review the funding status of projects under the presidential 'Haya Karima', Decent Life initiative. The meeting was attended by Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities Sherif El-Sherbiny and several other senior officials. Cabinet Spokesperson Mohamed el Homsany said Madbouli closely followed up on the funding developments for the first phase of the initiative, which is set to conclude soon. He reaffirmed ongoing coordination with relevant ministers and authorities to monitor the implementation of the initiative as one of the country's most significant presidential development programs that aims to improve the living standards of millions of rural citizens through the provision of modern infrastructure, integrated social services, and sustainable job opportunities. The meeting also reviewed progress on projects in the first phase and preparations for the launch of the second phase of the initiative. The discussions included an overview of investment allocations for key national programs, including the 'Building the Egyptian Citizen' program and targeted investment in Upper Egypt. The meeting also addressed improvements in public service indicators such as sanitation, drinking water, natural gas, and high-speed internet access in villages covered by the initiative's first phase.
Egypt Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Egypt Today
Awqaf Platform: Forming a Plate Best Served Tolerant
President El-Sisi sponsors launch of world's largest religious platform by Egypt's Awqaf Ministry, promoting tolerance and renewal. The Egyptian Ministry of Charitable Endowments (AKA Awqaf) (MoCE) dates back to 1835, when the then ruler of Egypt, Mohamed Ali, promulgated a decree on the creation of the Public Endowment Authority (PEA). In 1913, PEA was transformed into a ministry. Originally, PEA was created to oversee and manage charitable endowments across Egypt. Decades later, it was decided that the newly formed ministry was to further oversee mosques as well as their activities, personnel, and services on Egyptian soil. Being a key party to the preaching of the true message of Islam both inside and outside Egypt, the MoCE has always been on the frontline of promoting tolerance, coexistence, and human fraternity while combating all forms of extremism and radicalization. The tools and channels adopted for that mission have always been written publications, mosques, and traditional media. The existing MoCE website is almost solely news-oriented in nature; much to the contrary of the mission expected from the MoCE. As part of that mission, the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCIA) was created in 1960 to promote the true merciful teachings of Islam worldwide. SCIA went by traditional media. A chip off the old block, SCIA sent preachers outside Egypt and received international students on scholarships from many countries. Engaging new media is inevitable, however, for a notion to be driven home. With a visionary polymath on top, the MoCE has been seeking to cope with new media to deliver on its promise of promoting the great values of Islam. The incumbent minister, dr. Ossama Al-Azhary, declared on his first day of assuming his office in July 2024 that a world-class platform would be launched soon. A promise strenuously kept, the MoCE launched its new platform ( on Wednesday 18 June 2025 under the patronage of his excellency president Abdelfattah El-Sisi in a ceremony headed by the prime minister of Egypt, Dr. Mostafa Madboli. The new platform is meant to form a plate that is determined to be knowledgeable, tolerant and promoting peace, coexistence, respect, and human fraternity. What has been achieved so far is the infrastructure of a greatly ambitious project. To understand how unprecedented and unique this platform is, one needs to consider the following facts: 1. It is part of a larger determination by the Egyptian state to build, honor, and glorify human life, God's most sublime creation according to Islamic understanding. Egypt is pursuing several presidential, nationwide sustainable development initiatives, including A New Beginning to Build the Human Being, and Decent Life. Initiatives of such magnitude and aims may come to fruition only through paying due attention to human development, most notably mental, cognitive, psychological, and spiritual welfare. 2. The new platform features three main phases, the first of which is due for launch on 18 June 2025; with an unlimited room for scaleup. It is meant to achieve all its milestones up to sustainability by mid 2027. 3. The first phase includes 60,000 pages; making it the biggest religious platform in the whole world. 4. By the end of all milestones, the platform is meant to hit a staggering count of several million pages. 5. The platform is expected to be coupled with a smart phone app (phase 3) and a translation-based scaleup into several languages. 6. The platform approaches religious issues from various angles, including legal, linguistic, philosophical, sociological, medical, historical, and other perspectives. 7. The platform adopts a moderate line of thought that seeks to promote the true, great values of Islam. 8. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and chatbot features are to be expected as part of the operational and interactive functions of phase three of the platform. 9. The approach adopted for the platform is set to renew Islamic religious discourse in a way that preserves the fundamentals of faith, regards as humanized -rather than deified- Islamic scholarly heritage, and views with an all-inclusive eye the history of Islam. 10. The platform is based on the Al-Azhary's four-part strategy: (a) confronting religious extremism, (b) confronting irreligious extremism, (c) character building, and (d) civilizational revival and contribution. Make no mistake, it is a historic moment of a historic product for the good of Egyptians, Muslims, and the whole word.
Egypt Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Egypt Today
Egyptian parliament approves of new national budget plan, gov't seeks 4.5% growth next year
Cairo – June 18, 2025: Egypt's House of Representatives has endorsed the national budget and economic development framework for FY2025/2026, setting a target for real GDP growth of 4.5 percent. This represents a significant increase from the 2.4 percent growth recorded in FY2023/2024. Planning Minister Rania Al-Mashat presented the plan amid ongoing regional uncertainties, noting that preliminary indicators from the first nine months of the current fiscal year signal improving economic performance. She highlighted that the plan focuses on structural reforms and concentrated investment to navigate these complex conditions. Public investment in the upcoming fiscal year is projected at approximately LE 1.158 trillion, up from about LE 1 trillion allocated in FY2024/2025. Nearly 28 percent of this amount—LE 327 billion—is dedicated to human development sectors, including health, education, and social services. The state budget will contribute LE 219 billion toward these areas. The government reiterated its commitment to the Haya Karima (Decent Life) initiative aimed at rural development, with phase one receiving LE 350 billion to improve living conditions for 18 million residents in over 1,400 villages across 20 governorates. The second phase allocates funds for essential infrastructure and expanding universal health insurance. In line with its reform agenda, the government plans to reduce direct state involvement in the economy. A new State Ownership Policy Law, recently passed by parliament, encourages greater private sector participation. Meanwhile, a review is underway to restructure 59 economic authorities, determining their future status through a committee supported by technical expertise. To enhance governance and investment management, the Adaa system—tracking 4,000 performance metrics across 36 ministries and agencies—will be further expanded. Training is ongoing to help public entities utilize a centralized digital platform covering 270 state-owned companies, aiming to improve transparency and efficiency. Funding for land compensation related to national projects has increased to LE 16 billion for the combined fiscal years FY2024/2025 and FY2025/2026, with more than LE 3.4 billion allocated to projects in Giza. Additionally, the government plans to conduct a new economic census via the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) to better capture informal economic activity and inform policy decisions. Minister Al-Mashat stressed that the plan's formulation took place amid 'delicate circumstances' worsened by rapid regional developments. She called for flexible planning and continuous monitoring to adapt to evolving conditions, while expressing gratitude for parliament's thorough review and constructive input.
Middle East
3 days ago
- Business
- Middle East
OPEN// PM: Egypt to localize desalination tech with private sector help
CAIRO, June 17 (MENA) – Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli said that Egypt is working to localize modern desalination technologies and related industries, in cooperation with the private sector. The plan includes building seawater desalination plants in coastal cities, using renewable energy to reduce costs, and involving private companies in operations and supply chains. The remarks by the premier came during a meeting to follow up on drinking water and irrigation projects. During the talks, officials reviewed ongoing and upcoming projects, including those under the Decent Life (Hayah Karima) initiative for rural development, and discussed improving existing water stations, expanding networks, and setting clear project timelines. (MENA) H A T/R E E
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 days ago
- Business
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Egypt targets 4.5% growth amid regional uncertainty, boosts public investment to EGP 1.15 tln - Economy
Egypt's parliament has approved the national budget for fiscal year 2025/26, which begins on 1 July. The budget sets a real GDP growth target of 4.5 percent, nearly double the 2.4 percent growth recorded in FY2023/24. The Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation (MOPEDIC) stated that growth in the first nine months of the current fiscal year has also improved, based on preliminary data. Planning Minister Rania Al-Mashat presented the government's economic and social development plan to address regional instability and economic challenges through structural reforms and targeted investment. Public investment priorities The new plan allocates EGP 1.158 trillion in public investment — up from about EGP 1 trillion in FY2024/25 — with a focus on human development sectors such as health, education, and public services, which will receive EGP 327 billion or 28 percent of the total. Of this, EGP 219 billion will come directly from the state budget. Sectoral allocations include: EGP 85.6 billion for health EGP 63.4 billion for education EGP 178 billion for other social services Rural development and Decent Life initiative The government reaffirmed its support for the Haya Karima (Decent Life) programme, which targets rural development. Phase one has received EGP 350 billion to serve 18 million people in 1,477 villages across 20 governorates. Phase two includes EGP 25 billion for water, sewage, and utilities infrastructure and EGP 20 billion for expanding universal health insurance. State ownership and public sector reform The budget also reflects the government's ongoing push to reduce its footprint in economic activities. A new State Ownership Policy Law, approved by parliament, aims to increase private sector participation — part of a broader reform agenda endorsed by the Supreme Council for Investment. A review is underway to restructure 59 economic authorities, with assessments to determine whether entities should be merged, dissolved, or reclassified. A high-level committee with technical support oversees the process. Governance and investment efficiency Al-Mashat said the government would continue to cap public investment to support macroeconomic stability and encourage foreign investment. Efforts include training public bodies to manage investment data through a centralized digital platform covering 270 state-owned companies. The government has also expanded the Adaa performance evaluation system, which now tracks 4,000 performance indicators across 36 ministries and public bodies. The system allows for quarterly evaluations aligned with sustainable development and fiscal goals. Land compensation and economic data Funding for land compensation related to national projects has increased to EGP 16 billion for FY2024/25 and FY2025/26 — up from EGP 12.35 billion in the previous year. Over EGP 3.4 billion of these funds will serve projects in Giza. Egypt plans to launch a new economic census via the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) to improve policymaking and better understand the informal economy. The census will map economic activity and the contribution of unregistered enterprises. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
