The Presidency
Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan. The meeting was also attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates, Dr. Badr Abdel-Atty, and General Manager of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Mr. Luis Monreal.
Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, said President El-Sisi commenced the meeting by congratulating His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan on assuming his post earlier this year. The President lauded the contributions of his late father, His Highness the Late Prince Karim Aga Khan, in leading the activities of the Aga Khan Development Network and its effective role in fostering development globally, particularly in the social, economic, and environmental sectors, in addition to its efforts in preserving Islamic cultural heritage.
President El-Sisi expressed his appreciation for the historic role the Aga Khan Development Network has played in Egypt over decades. The President noted that this developmental partnership has contributed to supporting the state’s efforts to achieve sustainable development and improve the standard of living and services in a number of regions. This is in addition to its contribution to projects dedicated to preserving Egypt’s historic Islamic heritage.
The President highlighted the most significant national initiatives being implemented by the state within the framework of Egypt Vision 2030, which aims to achieve comprehensive development and improve basic services. Those include the “Decent Life” (Hayah Karima) initiative, the “100 Million Health” initiative and the “Bidaya for Human Development” initiative. These initiatives focus on investing in human development, enhancing professional skills, and enabling citizens to actively participate in and benefit from development efforts.
The meeting also tackled ongoing endeavors to rehabilitate and upgrade a number of Egyptian neighborhoods and restore their historical landmarks in a manner commensurate with their archaeological significance. The two sides also discussed prospects for future cooperation in these areas.
For his part, His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan expressed his profound appreciation to the President and for Egypt’s regional and international standing. He valued his first official visit to Egypt and confirmed the Aga Khan Development Network’s commitment to further enhancing fruitful cooperation with the Government of Egypt. His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan emphasized the Network’s keenness on expanding its efforts to support the state’s drive to achieve comprehensive development, primarily in the sectors of education, agriculture, and enhancing climate change adaptation, particularly in Upper Egypt.
He also highlighted the importance of leveraging the network’s experience in Cairo concerning urban and environmental revitalization for application in different contexts. His Highness also commended the tangible progress Egypt has achieved in human development programs, confirming that investing in people represents a fundamental pillar for realizing prosperity and sustainable growth.
