Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi directed concerned authorities to ensure the provision of state-of-the-art-services in the New Administrative Capital (NAC). This came during a meeting chaired by the president on Monday evening with the Head of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority Maj. Gen. Ihab Al-Far and Presidential Adviser for Urban Planning Amir Sayed Ahmed Hassan. EL-Sisi also stressed the need to complete NAC projects on time, stressing the high standard of living, better services and job opportunities the new capital will provide. The meeting discussed the latest progress on the construction projects in the new capital, especially in the government district, to which the premises of several ministries and state bodies will be relocated, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said. Al-Far briefed the president on the progress on a project to improve the road and bridge networks in the Cairo Heliopolis (Masr El Gedida) district, as part of an integrated modernization plan that covers all the suburbs, the spokesman added. Several executive directors representing the companies undertaking the construction process in the new capital were also present at the meeting. Last week, Egypt has opened a new international airport on a one-month trial basis to service the city. In 2015, Egypt started the mega-construction of NAC, 45km east of Cairo as part of the government s plan to reduce pressure on an overpopulated, 20-million strong capital, expand urban areas, and develop the infrastructure for a nation of 98.9 million citizens. The new capital, which is being built over 714 square kilometres by tens of thousands of workers, will be home to a government housing district, 29 ministries and other state institutions – including the cabinet and parliament buildings – and 20 residential neighbourhoods that can accommodate 6.5 million people

Egypt has participated in a 2-day meetings of a liaison strategy group of the anti-Daesh Global Coalition, which wrapped up on Sunday in Washington. During the meetings, head of the delegation Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez, stressed the need to exert further efforts to combat Daesh terrorism and extremist ideologies. Hafez emphasised the necessity to combat all forms of terrorism after the field victories over Daesh. He reiterated that terrorism can only be defeated through adopting an international approach for an all-out confrontation of terrorist groups and face the extremist thoughts of Daesh and all terrorist activities. Hafez praised the initiative launched by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to renew religious discourse, the role played by Al-Azhar and Dar al Iftaa to counter terrorism.

Egypt s parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal told MPs in a plenary session on Sunday morning that the new NGO law was not drafted by the government as a response to foreign pressure. "Legislations in Egypt comes only out of national interests and never as an echo of foreign voices," said Abdel-Aal, adding that "when parliament passed its own version of the NGO law in November 2016, Egypt was facing many challenges, particularly in security, but now Egypt has become a strong state, and never accept that its legislation comes under foreign pressure."