Luxor- Under the auspices of H.E. Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Egyptian Prime Minister, The Egypt Network for Integrated Development "ENID" holds its sixth annual conference titled “"Clusters and Economic Development in the South" on the 14th and 15th of February at the Jolie Ville Kings Island Hotel in Luxor .

This year's conference will focus on clusters as an effective model for stimulating economic development and employment generation in Egypt’s South. Moreover, there will be discussions about the best practices from the Chinese, Indian and , Moroccan experiences that can address the needs and challenges constraining cluster development in Egypt.

Furthermore, participants will explore new ways for creating a conducive environment that fosters clusters competitiveness on the national level pinpointing the vital role of the government in collaboration with the business community and NGOs in this respect.

Ms. Randa Aboul-Hosn, UNDP Resident Representative in Egypt said “ We have been working in cooperation with the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation since 2012 on the project of Egypt Network for Integrated Development to create employment opportunities in Upper Egypt where ENID has enabled the implementation of development interventions in several villages in Upper Egypt, especially in Qena Governorate and some villages in Luxor Governorate and Sohag Governorate through building community skills and providing services to youth and young beneficiaries”. She added "Clusters and developing clusters goes along with Egypt's strategy for sustainable development: the vision of Egypt 2030 and especially the sustainable development goals"

Around 250 participants will attend the conference from different fields of specialization including handicrafts, agriculture, textiles, ICT and furniture. In addition to this, academic researchers, policy makers (Ministers, Governors and senior government officials), Egyptian and international investors as well as representatives from civil society and the business community will participate to share their analysis and sharing their valuable experience on the ground. The meeting will highlight a variety of investment opportunities in both Qena and Sohag Governorates.

ENID project is a joint cooperation between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Egyptian Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation established in 2012. ENID is a comprehensive area-based integrated development initiative addressing the challenges faced by women and youth in development, with a specific focus on poverty reduction and employment generation at local levels. It works mainly in Egypt’s second poorest governorate of Qena and also in some areas in Luxor and Sohag.

The conference is supported by Banque Du Caire, Bank of Alexandria, Arab African International Bank, National Bank of Egypt, Cairo International Bank, Sawiris Foundation for Social Development and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)

To know more about ENID/El Nidaa, visit http://www.enid.org.eg/

For More information
Mai abd ELRahman, mai.abdelrahman@undp.org