Cairo: Minister of Local Development Manal Awad held a meeting with Sohail Elabd, Director of International Strategies at Esri. The discussions were centered on exploring key areas and proposals for cooperation, particularly in enhancing the Egyptian Cities Atlas and utilizing GIS technologies for monitoring spatial changes.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the talks also involved supporting the Ministry of Local Development in several ongoing programs and operational files. The meeting took place at the ministry's headquarters in the New Administrative Capital, attended by Hassem Hameda, CEO of Esri for North Africa.

During the meeting, Awad expressed appreciation for Esri's support in recent years, which has significantly improved services delivered to citizens through GIS applications and software solutions. This collaboration led to the ministry receiving the 2025 Special Achievement in GIS (SAG Award) at the Esri International User Conference in San Diego, California.

Elabd commended the ministry's role in managing essential public services and affirmed Esri's commitment to continue collaboration, leveraging their experience in local development to provide innovative solutions and streamline public services, advancing Egypt's geospatial infrastructure.