Our local development project strategy in Egypt has two main drivers: geographical diversification and partnerships with cooperation agencies and civil society organisations with proven operational capacity. In Port Said, we take an integrated approach that combines access to energy, technical education and community health. We have replicated the Applied Technology School model in Port Said in the governorates of Damietta and Matrouh, thanks also to collaboration with the European Union and AICS (Italian Agency for Development Cooperation). In the agricultural sector, two initiatives for sustainable agriculture and access to water have also been launched in Matrouh and South Sinai with the aim of improving farmers' resilience to climate change in desert areas. The success of these projects, highlighted by local authorities, has laid the foundations for an organic farming project in Matrouh targeting 700 farmers (launched in March 2025) and an agricultural development and biodiversity project in South Sinai (scheduled to start in 2026).
Egypt
2018 – present
Economic diversification
Education
Community healthIn terms of health initiatives, our first step was to support the local health system by modernising the hospital in Port Said and launching training programmes for health staff and prevention programmes for citizens. This is all part of the Community Health Strategy that has enabled the centres in the Emirates and Al Garabaa districts to be set up to provide residents regular access to health services, from emergency care to pharmacies, including paediatrics and vaccinations. We have also supplied hospitals with medical equipment to support cardiology, urology, neurology and gynaecology services and carried out healthcare training activities. More recently, activities have been initiated to establish a training centre of excellence for health personnel, and awareness-raising campaigns on communicable diseases have been carried out in several primary schools.
Polimi Energy Week speakers
Students during the final ceremony of the course
Speech during graduation day
Closing ceremony and awarding of certificates to Polimi Energy Week participants
Building on the success of the Applied Technology School model in Port Said, we have launched a Tertiary Education project, together with Sewedy University of Technology, Politecnico di Milano and Eni Corporate University (ECU), to contribute to the country's energy transition by training specialised personnel in optimising energy consumption in the industrial sector. The initiatives include the launch of a bachelor's degree programme in Energy Engineering Technology, the provision of scholarships, direct teaching by PoliMi and the establishment of a network of companies ready to take on students as apprentices.
While we have worked with our partners to ensure better prospects for young students, there is also a need to help improve the adaptability and economic development of local communities living in desert areas through sustainable agricultural practices. In particular, in the governorates of Matrouh and South Sinai, activities have been carried out to ensure access to water for domestic and irrigation use, introduce more sustainable and productive agricultural techniques in desert climates, and reduce inequalities through literacy courses. Thanks to the support of local partners, some of the products will be accessible to different markets, thanks to quality certifications for biodiversity and organic farming.
Find out more about the initiatives we are working on to help achieve a just transition in an inclusive and transparent way.
Dowload the document
Download document
