Partnership between the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria Governorate, and the World Bank
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Alexandria, 6 February 2006—the BA organized the fifth workshop to prepare and execute a comprehensive strategy to develop the city of Alexandria, as part of the agreement between the BA, Governorate of Alexandria, and the World Bank. Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Library of Alexandria, General Mohamed Basiouny, the General Secretary of Government, Mr. Ahmed Owida, and the World Bank initiated the workshop.
As partner with the Governorate in the development process of Alexandria, Dr. Ismail Serageldin expressed his pleasure, holding this meeting and mentioned that Alexandria- the center for civilization and knowledge and a place for racial, ethnical, and religious pluralism for 6 centuries- has been ignored for the past almost 50 years. He added that Alexandria has started to flourish again thanks to General Abdel Salam El-Mahgoub, Governor of Alexandria, who revived the city"s spirit; the under water excavation, which grasped the attention of the entire world; and the inauguration of the Library of Alexandria, which renewed the flow of tourism in Alexandria in all its forms.
Dr. Serageldin emphasized that the BA will spare no effort in developing the city of Alexandria referring to the Young Architects Competition organized by the BA to develop the Eastern Harbor.
General Mohamed Basiouny added that the Governorate will not be able to achieve any of its goals without the help of students, workers, businessmen, and women. General Basiouny mentioned that the Governorate is now seeking to develop new projects, including a strategy to develop the national economy through the creation of new job opportunities and the development of industrial and small projects. He also referred to the Governorates efforts to promote tourism and increase hotel capacities. The issue of developing "slums", which emerge due to the lack of urban planning, and which are deprived of basic utilities and representing approximately 30 % of the population of Alexandria. He stressed that the Governorate allocated 247 million Egyptian pounds to provide these areas with electricity, water, and sanitation.
Closing the workshop, both Dr. Serageldin and General Basiouny hoped that this new partnership will result into a positive shift in the life and future of the city of Alexandria, adding that the World Bank allocated 100 million dollars to the sustainable development of the city of Alexandria.