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Expressing her keenness and determination  to preserve and safeguard the unique identity of  the historical cities in the Arab countries, asserting  her strong belief in the challenges inspiring  those cities with their infrastructure, which anchor deeply their aspects of  originality and heritage, H.E Shaikha Mai bint Muhammad Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Arab Regional Center lauded  the recent  directives issued by the Egyptian Prime Minister Dr. Mustafa Madbouly. Indeed, Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced, recently that the government is currently working to revive historic Cairo, and that the urban revival plans depend on several axes. These include rehabilitating archaeological and heritage buildings, and integrating them into the historic urban surroundings. Madbouly’s remarks came during his inspection visit to the project to develop the Cairo Citadel Aqueduct, saying that that the country’s plans to preserve historical areas and restore their splendour is dependent on urban rehabilitation. This will take place through improving and rehabilitating the built environment, housing, infrastructure, and improving local services.

H.E Shaikha Mai has pointed out saying:  “We live today surrounded by historical cities that need and deserve our entire preoccupation and attention for the unique value and the deeply-anchored identity, which the core and the heart of a nation’s formation, its human, cultural and economic character. Henceforth, it is not possible today to separate the historical identity and collective memory of a country like Egypt from its city Cairo, the portal and citadel of a whole nation, and the guardian of its ancient and modern history.”

H.E argued that regarding the acceleration of the conceptualization of an administrative institutional entity in the historic city of Cairo, and the Egyptian Prime Minister, Dr. Mustafa Madbouly’s personal follow-up on the consultative work for the city development project by reviving heritage buildings of architectural and historical value and re-employing them to incorporate them into today's urban fabric, is a role model in the Arab world. Cities were formed as an expression of spiritual, material, social and political conditions, and the changes in these conditions from one city to another make each one a unique unrepeatable phenomenon, it is, therefore, our ultimate  responsibility to include historical cities in our national strategies related to prosperity and development, H.E added. 

At the outset of the Cabinet meeting, the Egyptian Prime Minister Dr. Mustafa Madbouly discussed the latest developments with regard to the “Urban Regeneration for Historic Cairo” and “People of Egypt Promenade”  and to   follow up on the implementation of these  projects. Dr. Mustafa Madbouly said that he is part and parcel of this lovely city, where he spent his university studies, remembering every street, corner and stone its alleyways and artefacts, adding that his keenness will be implemented and materialized by scientific tools and historical and urban development strategies to uplift and regenerate the area. Indeed, to   enhance projects in the area, and to revive its appearance by pushing to keep its monumental artefacts and architectural splendor, Egypt has announced plans to develop Historic Cairo in a bid to preserve its architectural heritage and handicrafts, according  the country’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly who went in a field  visit and spoke to  shop owners and craftsmen in the area during an inspection tour recently. During the meeting, the Prime Minister directed to prepare a complete plan for the road and streets network, to approve a traffic plan for the area, and pedestrian paths, and to conduct a comprehensive inventory of the ruined places and the empty areas and their properties. To be used in development. Madbouly added that the consultancy work for the Historic Cairo Development Project includes reviving heritage buildings of value and re-employing them to integrate them into the historical urban fabric, and rehabilitating buildings of good and medium condition to improve the urban character, along with studying the possibility of changing the uses of vacant areas, ruins, and buildings of degraded condition that are of no value. According to the needs required to complete the urban fabric, as well as upgrading the open and public spaces, and the movement and pedestrian paths.Needleless to say that Cairo hosts a variety of historically significant districts and monuments, that are considered and registered as World Heritage List sites.

H.E Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, for her part, asserted that these visionary ideas alone can foresee the bright future and the beating heart of prosperous historical cities, transforming their components into potential cultural valuable investment opportunities. H.E also pointed out that cities today should not be reduced to simply safeguard and heritage preservation, but rather the epicenter of public spaces activities, recalling historical memories, rehabilitating  all aspects of life, experiences and multiple unique pathways, in order to formulate and habilitate collective memory for making the region’s bright future  and preservation of its unique identity. H.E rejoined saying : “ Historical urban architecture is a timeless memorial landmark, it’s not simply deserted degenerating places, which are many be  the result of irresponsibility by some, reduced  rather be  only a guardian and epitome of history, but because these concepts, notions and humane deep sensations that they really  emanate constitute a common life and knowledge denominator shared by all us”. In addition, H.E asserted that these tendencies and strategies are considered today capable of offering glimpses of hope for historical change, driven by creative and inventive investment initiatives to escort and cherish this historical heritage towards sustainable development and prosperous future.