In a significant step towards fostering sustainable economic development in Qena and in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030, Dr. Khaled Mahmoud Abdelhalim Abdelal, the Governor of Qena, and his Deputy, Dr. Hazem Omar Ahmed, held a productive meeting with the Enroot Development team. The discussion centered on future cooperation plans with a focus on economic development and entrepreneurship.

Meeting attendees included Dr. Hany El-Salamony, Co-Founder and CEO of Enroot Development, along with Mr. Abdulrahman Khaled, Head of Project Management; Ms. Farah Badr, Head of Research and Strategy; and Ms. Manar Gamal, Climate-Smart Agriculture Project Officer. Also present was Senate Member and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Saed Foundation, Dr. Akmal Nagaty. The Saaed Foundation is an implementing partner for Enroot’s policy-making and legal amendment efforts.

Dr. Hany El-Salamony started the meeting by congratulating the newly appointed Governor, Dr. Khaled Mahmoud Abdelhalim and his Deputy Dr. Hazem Omar Ahmed on their new roles. He also invited them to attend the Event “Empowering the South: Lessons Learned and the Way Forward,” organized by Enroot in the second week of September to celebrate the achievements of the MASAAR  project, funded by the Drosos Foundation. Additionally, he announced the launch of a new project aimed at enhancing the role of the private sector in improving climate-smart agricultural practices in Upper Egypt, funded by the  Embassy of the Netherlands in Egypt.

The meeting also addressed the launch of Enroot Development’s business acceleration program across all governorates of Upper Egypt, which will support startups, entrepreneurs, and small to medium-sized enterprises in Qena to grow and secure investments. That is in addition to the vital role that Enroot and the Saed Foundation will play in the “Investment Council for Social Development,” which will be established in Qena. This council will serve as a platform for coordination between the public and private sectors to support developmental projects.

Enroot Development’s team presented their studies which identify business opportunities in Qena through the Productive Clusters Mapping process. which highlight the economic potential and available opportunities in the governorate. Both parties agreed to continue collaborating to update these studies and present them to international donor organizations.

Moreover, Mr. Abdulrahman Khaled presented the proposed interventions for enhancing climate-smart agricultural practices in response to climate change and its impacts on agricultural production in Qena. The project  aims to involve the private sector in raising awareness about modern technologies and sustainable practices in agriculture, contributing to improved resilience to climate change and ensuring the sustainability of the agricultural sector.”

Dr. Khaled Abdelhalim, Governor of Qena, expressed his eagerness to collaborate with Enroot Development to explore new areas of developmental interventions with the aim of harnessing the vast economic potential of Qena. He emphasized the commitment to work alongside South Valley University and Enroot Development to achieve sustainable development goals and empower youth in Upper Egypt.

Since 2018, Enroot for Development has been dedicated to promoting growth in Qena Governorate and empowering young entrepreneurs to launch their startups in alignment with Egypt’s Economic Vision 2030.