Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi met on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, with Prime Minister, Moustafa Madbouli as well as Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Co-operation, Rania Al-Mashat; Minister of State for Military Production, Mohamed Salah El-Din; Minister of Local Development, Manal Awad; Minister of Social Solidarity, Maya Morsy; and Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, Sherif El Sherbini.
The meeting was also attended by Advisor to the President for “Decent Life” Initiative, Lieutenant-General Mohamed Farid Hegazy; Head of the Armed Forces Financial Affairs Authority, Major General Khaled Ahmed Abdallah; Chairman of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority, Major General Walid Aref, and Director General of the Arab Organisation for Industrialization, Major General Engineer Abdel Rahman Abdel Azim.
Spokesman for the Presidency Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy said that during the meeting the President was updated on the executive status of the first phase of the national project for the development of the Egyptian countryside (The Presidential Initiative: ‘Decent Life’ / Hayah Karima). This initiative is considered an unprecedented developmental model for economic and urban development. In this regard, the projects implemented during the first phase of the initiative were reviewed.
This phase covers 20 governorates, 52 districts, 333 local units, and 1,477 villages. Approximately 20 million citizens benefit from the projects implemented during this phase, totaling around 27,332 projects, with an average implementation rate of 90%.
The meeting discussed the geographical scope of the first phase of the ‘Decent Life’ (Hayah Karima) initiative, as well as progress in the construction of the relevant utilities and infrastructure. This includes wastewater and potable water systems, energy and telecommunications networks, and engineering works related to both the transport and road sectors as well as security and community services.
It also focused on the current executive status of projects implemented under the initiative, and strategies to overcome challenges to ensure the completion of the first phase projects within the specified timeframes.
The meeting also reviewed the objectives and preparations for the second phase of the “Decent Life” initiative. This phase encompasses projects across the sectors of wastewater and water, natural gas, telecommunications, fiber optics as well as health units, medical centers, and ambulance units within the framework of the Universal Health Insurance System, in addition to educational facilities. The second phase is scheduled to be implemented across 20 governorates and 204 local units, involving approximately 14,500 projects. Work is already underway in 245 villages.
President El Sisi gave directives to follow-up on the remaining works of the initiative’s first phase, and to eliminate all obstacles to ensure swift progress and timely completion and handover of projects. This includes providing the necessary funding to achieve maximum benefit for citizens at the earliest possible opportunity.
The President also emphasized the importance of intensive and well-studied preparations for the launch of the initiative’s second phase, with a commitment to the highest levels of performance and execution in accordance with the latest standards.
