Cairo: Vice Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, Kamel El-Wazir, held an extensive meeting with Minister of International Cooperation and Planning Rania Al-Mashat and Minister of Local Development Manal Awad. The meeting included governors of Qena and Sohag and senior officials to review progress on infrastructure works under the World Bank-funded Upper Egypt Local Development Program.According to State Information Service Egypt, El-Wazir stressed the Ministry's commitment to completing the program on schedule, which aims to boost economic development and job creation in Qena and Sohag through upgrading four industrial zones. The meeting reviewed progress on utilities and infrastructure-electricity, water, sewage, fire safety, communications, and gas networks-as well as ongoing work in roads, fencing, administrative buildings, and service facilities.The minister directed all companies involved to accelerate the completion of works, noting that both the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Transport are ready to provide support to ensure timely delivery. He announced that starting June 1, 2025, available industrial plots in the four zones will be offered through the Digital Industrial Egypt platform. The Industrial Development Authority was instructed to reassess previously allocated but inactive plots to make them available for serious investors.El-Wazir also revealed plans to visit Qena and Sohag during May to inspect project progress on the ground.Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, emphasized that the Upper Egypt Local Development Program-launched in partnership with the World Bank-has gained significant momentum since the formation of the ministerial coordination committee. She noted that the program is progressing well and has already achieved many milestones. Scheduled for completion by October this year, it has driven tangible development in Upper Egypt, directly benefiting local communities and promoting inclusive economic growth.Al-Mashat also highlighted the importance of field visits to monitor on-the-ground progress and stressed that the program has been recognized by the United Nations as one of the best practices supporting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. She reaffirmed the Ministry's commitment to ensuring that all development financing is used efficiently and to its fullest potential, through tools like regular meetings, quarterly progress reports, and an integrated digital system to track and evaluate donor-funded projects.Dr. Manal Awad pointed to the rise in service completion rates across the zones and underlined the government's focus on competitiveness, investment, and integration between industrial clusters and local economies in Upper Egypt.