Cairo –12 February 2026: H.E. Dr. Ahmed Rostom, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, convened an expanded meeting with the Ministry’s senior leadership in his first official engagement following the constitutional oath before H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic.
During the meeting, H.E. the Minister reviewed priority workstreams and directed the swift completion of ongoing efforts to ensure the regularity and efficiency of operations. He emphasized the importance of strengthening coordination across sectors to support the achievement of the State’s sustainable economic development objectives.
H.E. Dr. Rostom stressed that maintaining the uninterrupted and efficient functioning of the institutional work cycle is a top priority. He underscored the need for periodic monitoring of implementation rates and accelerating performance to maximize the effective utilization of available resources and achieve the State’s comprehensive and sustainable development targets. He also highlighted the importance of fostering a unified team spirit and strengthening internal communication channels across all sectors involved in the planning process, in alignment with Egypt Vision 2030, thereby enhancing institutional efficiency.
H.E. the Minister reaffirmed the Ministry’s full commitment to implementing the directives of H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi regarding the government’s priorities during the current phase, with the citizen placed at the forefront. He emphasized that the State’s vision prioritizes achieving sustainable growth rates, strengthening economic stability, and enhancing the efficiency of public expenditure.
H.E. Dr. Rostom further noted that presidential directives place citizens at the core of government action by focusing on improving quality of life, enhancing service delivery standards, and increasing the efficiency of public spending in ways that directly improve living standards. He added that the Ministry’s plans and programs aim to support national efforts to create decent employment opportunities and expand social protection coverage.
In a related context, H.E. Dr. Rostom referred to the directives of H.E. Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister, regarding the government’s priorities for the coming phase, which focus directly on citizen-centered issues. These include improving quality of life, alleviating living burdens, and meeting essential needs. He highlighted two priority files of paramount importance: the Presidential Initiative “Decent Life” (Hayah Karima) for the development of the Egyptian countryside, for which the Prime Minister underscored H.E. the President’s directive to accelerate implementation and respond to citizens’ aspirations; and the Comprehensive Health Insurance System, with emphasis on expediting the implementation of its integrated national plan.
H.E. the Minister also emphasized the importance of strengthening public investment governance as a cornerstone for enhancing expenditure efficiency and maximizing developmental returns on available resources. He stressed adherence to objective criteria in project selection, alignment with the State’s strategic plan objectives, and ensuring continuous monitoring and evaluation of implementation rates. He further underlined that rationalizing investments and directing them toward priority sectors contributes to achieving fiscal sustainability and strengthening national economic competitiveness.
He affirmed that the overarching goal is to ensure the optimal utilization of available resources to maximize the developmental return on public investments. The current phase, he noted, requires prudent and effective management and the prioritization of projects with direct economic impact and tangible improvements to citizens’ living standards.
H.E. Dr. Rostom concluded by stressing the importance of enhancing coordination and integration with various ministries and relevant entities to ensure unified efforts and coherence between sectoral plans and the strategic objectives of both the annual plan and the medium-term framework, in accordance with the Unified Planning Law. He noted that collaborative action across government institutions constitutes a fundamental pillar for the success of reform and development programs, helps avoid duplication of efforts, and maximizes resource utilization, ultimately contributing to higher growth rates and developmental returns that effectively respond to citizens’ needs and priorities.