Background:
In this press conference the Governor of Alexandria, Chancellor ʾIsmāʿīl al-Jawsaqī, answers question on recent developments in the governorate and his views for the future of the city.
Side A:
The Governor of Alexandria discusses some of the problems Alexandria faces and the efforts being done in the region. Alexandria is the second capital of Egypt, but the capital of industry, as 40% of Egyptian industry is located within the governorate. It is considered one of the most important historical cities in the world and was founded in 332 BC by Alexander the Great. He is proud to say that “all the civilisation in this region passed by Alexandria”. The city has the biggest port in the Mediterranean and 80% of Egyptian trade comes and goes via this port. Thus, the region is very important and they also have agriculture. The population is 5 million in winter and 7 million in summer, as it is considered the main resort for the Arab World in Egyptas well as visitors from all over the world.
After Mubarak assumed power he decided to face the country’s infrastructure problems and now Alexandria has a brand new infrastructure, after the city suffered under this problem before. He is also proud that all beaches in Alexandria now are very pure, and that there is no sort of nuisance there. This is due to a 70% finished project to modernise the city’s sewage treatment. He also sees Alexandria as a pioneer because they are not sending the waste water to the Mediterranean any more. The plan is to pump the waste water to the desert in order to recycle the water, irrigating a green belt around the governorate. The tap water in Alexandria is considered the best in Egypt, they have no more electricity shortages, they now have tunnels and bridges, they are proud to be planning a metro system and the governor and his team are doing their best to keep the city clean and beautiful.
This year they demolished the buildings that block the sea view. He stresses that he appreciates criticism from the media and that they have a good cooperation with the press. The green belt will approximately be 6000 feddan of the western desert as they found it illogical to send the treated waste water into the Mediterranean. They would rather use it in irrigation for trees in around Alexandria.
The Alexandria Festival brings together representatives from 44 other towns, the world over, named Alexandria and when they leave they consider them ambassadors for Alexandria, “the mother”. The first edition of this festival was successful, as the local authorities were the only organiser, but the second one was a cooperation between these, and other actors. However, the only shortage of the latest edition was “what happened concerning Opera Hotel” and he stresses that the local authorities were not responsible for this.
Alexandria is considered a pioneer in the field of environment, because they stopped sending sewage water into the Mediterranean. Ten years ago nobody was coming to Alexandria, so it was necessary to send the sewage water to Lake Mariout instead of to the sea. However, now, after the first phase of the sewage project, the lake is much less polluted and after the second phase of the project it will allegedly not be polluted anymore. The popular assembly of Alexandria decided to start pumping the water into the desert, two or three years from now. Also, law no. 4 of year 1994 assures that the industry now will stop sending its waste water to the city’s sewage tubes by the end of 1997, and they are required to treat their water before sending it to the tubes to avoid heavy metals and other industrial pollution.
The Alexandrian authorities try to learn from the experience of the port of Rotterdam and they have a very good cooperation with the authorities there. They are proud of the big Arab Academy for Science and Technology and the port of Alexandria is doing well. The port of Alexandria is already the biggest in the Mediterranean but they would like to upgrade, and will have the help from Rotterdam. They might start a complete cooperation with the authorities of Singapore as well.
On a question about effects of climate change, the governor answers that they would never give the sea the opportunity to eat their town, and that many researchers are studying how to deal with the problem. Wave breakers and maintenance of already-existing protection are needed. However, he read a lot of scientific research, saying that these problems will not arise, although “precautions are better than cures”. He is also proud of efforts to make the city clean and beautiful, but acknowledges the problem of waste management. Some of the waste is used as fertilisers and some is recycled otherwise. Related to these efforts, he points out the importance of tourism to the city and how they are doing their utmost in order to have a good tourist season.
For more information on the relations between the ports of Alexandria and Rotterdam, please refer to the tape Rotterdam-Alexandria Ports in Collaboration/Coptic Orthodox Priest on Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem:
http://www.arabwestreport.info/en/rotterdam-alexandria-ports-collaborati...
Side B:
They set up a free zone, which is already the biggest in the area, and maybe in the Middle East. They are now are expanding it and consider this part of Alexandria very important to the economy of Egypt. ʾIsmāʿīl al-Jawsaqī addresses Egypt’s need for investment and the opening of investment bureaus in all governorates. They are planning the establishment of a petrochemical factory in the free zone, as this is the biggest industry in the governorate. They encourage investment because they would gain manpower, industrial prosperity and new industries from it and the governor thinks they are doing a good job in this domain.
Additionally, 3 or 4 million dollars worth of investments have been approved under the new investment law. Concerning the tomb of Alexander the great, he says that it has not been found yet, and certainly not in Siwa. The government has allowed the governorate to start using the Borg el-Arab airport as a civil airport, as well as military. In the meantime, before the new airport gets up and runing they are upgrading the el-Nouzha one. He stresses that Borg el-Arab is not that far from the city, that the airport will be in service within five years and that the Alexandria Metro will connect it with the city.
