Head of the Engineering Authority Ahmed El Azazi said on Sunday the decision to develop Sinai was taken in tandem with efforts to eradicate forces of evil there.
As of June 30, 2014, the authority was tasked with carrying out a number of development projects in Sinai in coordination with ministries concerned, Azazi said during a ceremony for the inspection of the equipment used in the Sinai development and reconstruction process.
The event is attended by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli, Defense Minister Mohamed Zaki and a number of senior state officials.
Azazi said the authority was responsible for carrying out 460 projects in Sinai at a total cost of 480 billion pounds covering all spheres of development. The authority managed to implement 340 of them and 102 others are still under construction, he added.
As for roads and bridges, he said 60 axes were implemented to link Sinai with rest of Egyptian governorates.
The head of the engineering authority said five tunnels for cars were established under Suez Canal at a total cost of 35 billion pounds.
Also, a number of airports were developed, including Sharm el Sheikh, Arish and Saint Catherine airports, Azazi said.
Arish port is now under a 4-billion-pound development process, he said, adding that development works include setting up quays at length of 1,165 kilometers and seawalls stretching 1,750 meters.
The head of the engineering authority said 51 projects were carried out in the housing domain in Sinai, including setting up two cities; New Ismailia with a capacity of 33,000 residential units and Sallam Misr with a capacity of 4,400 units.
Also, 18 residential areas for bedouins were established housing 1,200 units and four villages for fishermen.
As many as 30 projects in the medical domain were established, including setting up two hospitals in Bier Abd with a capacity of 135 beds, rehabilitating nine hospitals and developing 16 medical centers.
