President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s weekly activities

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi held a series of meetings over the past week to review national projects and the development of services offered to citizens in all sectors.
Sisi held a meeting with Supply Minister Khaled Hanafi and an expert committee concerned with a mega national project aimed at transforming Damietta Port into an international logistical hub for the trade of grains.
Committee members reviewed detailed technical studies related to the project showing its great potentials in light of the distinguished geographic location of Damietta Port.
The project can be connected to other governorates nationwide through river transport.
Meanwhile, the supply minister said the committee had exerted great efforts to complete the project's studies and start its implementation while reducing the cost and rationalizing expenditure.
President Sisi met with Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab and the ministers of petroleum and mineral resources, housing, supply and internal trade, electricity, water resources and irrigation, agriculture and land reclamation and transportation.
The meeting tackled a host of domestic issues and the president’s upcoming visit to China.
The electricity minister cast light on the ministry's preparations for the summer and plans to improve the country's power plants.
The agriculture minister also reviewed a major project for reclaiming one million feddans under the umbrella of a national project aiming at reclaiming four million feddans.
Other ministers reviewed ongoing projects that aim at meeting the demands of the Egyptian people.
The meeting tackled proposed projects that would be discussed with the Chinese side during Sisi's upcoming visit to China.
Sisi met Monday with a number of youths who proposed societal initiatives to overhaul the state’s different development sectors.
Among the proposals were developing charity work, fighting traffic congestion and paying special attention to Egyptian governorates less privileged development-wise.
The youths also reviewed their initiatives which also cover the development of poor villages, especially in central Sinai, and the provision of jobs to its young residents, presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef said.
Sisi ordered reviewing and enforcing some of the floated ideas, including the establishment of female teachers schools in Sinai and organizing school trips for pupils from Sinai, Matrouh and Siwa to Cairo to get acquainted with its historical landmarks, the spokesman said.
Achieving security in Sinai will largely help development efforts in the city, especially when it comes to the possibility of building factories there, such as cement and marble factories, Sisi said.
Sisi also hailed the role of Egyptian women, their awareness and political participation.
Regarding the national press, Sisi had a meeting with members of the Supreme Council of the Press and the chief editors of national newspapers and the Middle East News Agency.
The president ordered the formation of a committee by the government and national press institutions to lay down an applicable roadmap to develop national newspapers.
Sisi said the new committee has to find “out of the box” solutions to problems facing national press institutions.
The new committee will hold its first meeting on Tuesday and will be co-chaired by Finance Minister Hani Qadri and Investment Minister Ashraf Salman, representing the government side.
Sisi called on media men to shoulder responsibility towards informing the people of the risks and the challenges the country is facing at the foreign and domestic levels.
He said the country is facing dangerous domestic and foreign challenges that should be overcome.
During the meeting, the president asserted that the State will not abandon these institutions.
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has met Sinai chieftains with Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab and Minister of Local Development Adel Labib attending the meeting.
The chieftains thanked Sisi for placing Sinai on top of priorities in State development plans.
Sisi told the chieftains the curfew in Sinai would be three hours less as it would be from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Sisi lauded the efforts exerted by the Sinai tribes and their sacrifices for Egypt.
He also hinted at the efforts exerted by the government to develop Sinai, noting that achieving security and stability in the peninsula was a pre-condition to develop Sinai.
A housing complex will be made available for each tribe that meets their traditions, the president told the chieftains.
"The development of El-Arish port will flourish trade movement and promote the traditional products of Sinai tribes," he said.
A major part of the construction projects in Sinai will be given to local companies in the peninsula to guarantee employment of Sinai youths.
The president also listened to some economic, developmental and security requirements of the chieftains in the New Rafah city and a committee would be formed of the chieftains to present such concerns.
A TV channel for Sinai will be launched to deal with the local life and concerns there, they agreed.
Sisi met on Tuesday with Egyptian scientist and Nobel laureate Ahmed Zuwail at the presidency's headquarters.
The meeting tackled the progress achieved in the establishment of the Zuwail City of Science and Technology which will contribute to upgrading the scientific research system in Egypt.
The meeting also took up ways of bringing advanced technology to Egypt from abroad and paying attention to the Egyptian inventions.
As for the issued decrees last week, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi issued Decree No. 445 for the year 2014 commissioning the minister of interior to have the power to reconsider rulings related to police conscripts in line with law no. 25 of 1966 which is related to the military justice and its amendments for police conscripts.
Sisi issued a decree on Tuesday on utilizing the country's mineral resources.
The decree aims at developing the industry and the optimal use of the available mineral resources.
The law includes provisions that govern the issuance of licenses for mines and quarries.
Sisi issued a decree retroactively increasing pensions 5 percent from July 1, 2007.
According to the decree, the increase would be applicable on pensioners who were subject to Law no. 79/1975.
It would not be enforceable for the partial disability pension scheme.
The new increase would be effective from January 1, 2015.
The decree was issued by the president in response to requests by pensioners.
Sisi on Thursday issued a decree granting the Order of Science and Arts of the First Class to a number of Egyptian scientists and professors in a number of universities and research institutes.
The move comes on the occasion of the Science Day and in recognition of the scientists' efforts which enriched the scientific research in medicine, engineering, science, agriculture and genetic engineering.
The Order of Science and Arts of the First Class will be granted to scientists and artists including: Professor Abdel-Shafie Fahmy Khalil, Late professor Hamid Mahmoud Arnaaout, professor Abdel-Hadi Hussein Hosni, professor Galal-Eddine Hamza and professor Mahmoud Imam Nasr.
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi received on Wednesday President of Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo at the presidential premises in Heliopolis.
They held bilateral talks on ways to boost cooperation between the two countries.
Mbasogo expressed to Sisi his country's keenness on luring more Egyptian companies to help develop the country.
SIsi underlined the role of Egyptian companies working in Equatorial Guinea specially the Arab Contractors.
Sisi invited Mbasogo to attend the inauguration of the New Suez Canal.
Sisi concluded the week with a visit to Jordan, where he met with King Abdullah II.
Sisi, on his first visit to the kingdom since assuming post in June, was accompanied by Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri and Presidential Adviser for National Security Affairs Fayza Abul Naga.
The two leaders held a bilateral session of talks followed by another one attended by senior officials and members of the delegations of the two countries.
President Sisi hailed the stance of Jordan towards Egypt and the will of its people during the 30 June revolution.
The two leaders reviewed the latest political and economic conditions in the region and the outcome of talks held by Jordan's king in Washington recently with US officials.
The talks between the Egyptian president and king Abdullah also dealt with the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks and the Arab draft resolution expected to be presented to the UN Security Council to put a deadline for Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories.
The two leaders called for paving the way for resuming peace talks in line with the international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab peace initiative which was announced by Saudi Arabia years ago.
On Syria, the two leaders called for a political agenda to solve the problem peacefully to maintain the security of the nation and the integrity of its territories.
On Iraq, they praised the progress achieved so far in the war against the extremist and terrorist organizations, calling on the Iraqi government to work for achieving the unity of the country and its people.
The two leaders agreed to work for correcting the image of Islam and showing its tolerance through Al-Azhar's efforts in this regard.
The two leaders underlined the importance of having a joint and comprehensive strategy to counter terrorism.
They called on the international community to create the conditions necessary for resuming Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.
The two heads of state reiterated their warnings against the repercussions of changing the status quo in Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem).
Jordan's king reassured his country's full support for Egypt and its crucial role in the region.
Sisi has voiced his country's appreciation for Jordanian King Abdullah II's stances supportive of Egypt and its people.
"These honorable stances are not strange to the Jordanian kingdom and its national leadership which always shows support for Egypt," Sisi was quoted by a statement issued by Jordan's Royal Court as saying.
"King Abdullah has reiterated his country's full support for Egypt and its pivotal role in the region, which serves the issues of the Arab nation and boosts joint Arab action."
He also welcomed Sisi's visit to the kingdom, saying it "will contribute to promoting the historical ties and cooperation between the two countries."