Thursday 10 Oct

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El-Said attends Al Qalaa Scholarship Foundation's 18th annual ceremony


El-Said attends Al Qalaa Scholarship Foundation's 18th annual ceremony

Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Hala El-Said participated in the 18th annual ceremony of Al Qalaa Scholarship Foundation.

The ceremony was attended by Dr. Ghada Waly, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Dr. Ahmed Heikal, Founder and Chairman of Qalaa Holding, Hisham Khazendar, Founding Partner and Managing Director of the company, Ghada Hamouda, Head of Sustainability and Marketing at the company, Ambassador Hussein Khazendar, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, Yasmine Dharghmi, Executive Director of the Foundation, and a large number of prominent public figures, and members of the Board of Trustees of Al Qalaa Scholarship Foundation.

In her speech, El-Said lauded Al Qalaa Scholarship Foundation's dual commitment. She praised the organization for being a leader in energy and infrastructure investments in Egypt and Africa, while emphasizing its role as a model for social responsibility in funding scholarships for ambitious Egyptian students to pursue their master's and doctoral studies at top international universities.

Hala El-Said commended the private sector's role in social responsibility, particularly when focused on a crucial field like education and investing in the future of people. She expressed her gratitude to the foundation for its ongoing scholarship program. The foundation established a selection process that prioritizes modern specializations needed by society, regional diversity (spatial justice) and gender equality as well as university partnerships.

Hala El-Said underscored the crucial role of the private sector in fulfilling social responsibility, highlighting its immense value, particularly when directed towards a critical domain like education and investing in the future of humanity. She expressed her appreciation to the foundation for its continued provision of educational grants through a well-defined selection process.

She explained that the state's development plans are implemented through a partnership between the government, the private sector, and civil society. This collaborative approach, she stressed, reflects the core vision of Egypt 2030, which emphasizes the importance of cooperation between these key stakeholders to achieve the country's development goals.

The minister announced a significant shift in the upcoming fiscal year's budget, with over 42% of government investments earmarked for human development – specifically health and education. She acknowledged challenges like high classroom densities in certain governorates, emphasizing the importance of public-private partnerships to address such issues.

El-Said also highlighted the government's structural reform plan, emphasizing a key axis: creating an efficient labor market. She stressed the importance of aligning this market with the skills produced by the education system.