Egypt's Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Hala El-Said, met today with Her Excellency Noura Khalifa, Minister of Sustainable Development of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and Her Excellency Amena bint Ahmed Al-Rumahe, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning of Bahrain.

The meeting aimed to discuss avenues for mutual cooperation, taking place on the sidelines of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) 2023, held in New York from July 10th to July 19th, under the theme "Accelerating Recovery from COVID-19 and Full Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 at all levels."

During the meeting, Dr. Hala El-Said affirmed that the political and economic relations between Egypt and the sisterly Kingdom of Bahrain are rooted in history and continuously growing. She emphasized the perpetual interest of the political leadership in both countries, led by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa, highlighting that the Egyptian-Bahraini relations serve as a model for Arab relations.

Dr. El-Said also presented Egypt's experience in providing voluntary national review reports on the progress made in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals at the national and local levels, as well as the process of preparing these voluntary reports.

Furthermore, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development referred to Egypt's experience in social housing and the potential for Bahrain to benefit from this experience.

Regarding unified databases, Dr. Hala El-Said stressed the importance of relying on unified databases and conducting accurate analysis, enabling decision-makers to take appropriate measures and actions. She highlighted Egypt's experience in unifying databases and its significance in the planning and targeting process.

For her part, the Minister of Sustainable Development of the Kingdom of Bahrain expressed her anticipation for visiting Egypt and discussing areas of mutual cooperation.

The meeting between the Egyptian and Bahraini ministers signifies the strong historical and growing relations between the two countries. It demonstrates their shared commitment to sustainable development and collaboration. Such engagements foster opportunities for knowledge exchange, joint projects, and partnership initiatives, leading to enhanced economic growth and social development in both Egypt and Bahrain.