Egypt’s Ministry of Housing has begun work on a programme that will see the construction of over 1.1 million residential units over the next five years.

The move is said to be a response to the growing demand for affordable housing in the country.

According to a report by Daily News Egypt citing Khaled Abbas, deputy Minister of Housing, establishing new urban communities is one of the engines of economic growth in Egypt, and building sustainably is a priority in the country’s 2030 Vision. Abbas was speaking at a recent forum hosted by Swiss-based LafargeHolcim Group at the American University in Cairo (AUC).

“We will be waiting for the recommendations of the LafargeHolcim Forum in order to learn from the output,” said Abbas.

The LafargeHolcim Forum for Sustainable Construction was also attended by the Swiss ambassador in Cairo Paul Garnier, Lafarge Egypt CEO Hussein Mansi, British architect Norman Foster and over 1,500 guests from Egypt and 52 countries.

Abbas noted that the organisation of international forums reflects the appreciation of the international community towards the Egyptian government’s efforts in establishing mega construction projects.

Roland Kohler, chairperson of LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction added, “The challenges we are facing today are global issues. Topics like climate change, population growth, and migration became a shared concern which impact our lives. Our group has been present in Egypt since 1864 when we provided more than 200,000 tonnes of building materials for the construction of the Suez Canal. Today, Lafarge Egypt participates in many mega national projects.”