Region to Use GIS for Comprehensive, Sustainable Development Projects

When the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a global call to action to achieve a more sustainable future for all by 2030, many countries committed to the cause. Egypt, which launched its strategy in 2016, met the obstacle of geographic disparities due to the need for development in the upper region of the nation. To address this challenge, the Egyptian Ministry of Local Development and the World Bank launched the Upper Egypt Local Development Program (UELDP) a year later.

One vital step toward improving development in Upper Egypt—and part of UELDP—includes establishing a GIS infrastructure in the region. To achieve this, UELDP chose location intelligence world leader Esri to provide the region's new GIS unit with all the required hardware, software, data, and applications necessary for managing complex geospatial data.

"This is a strategically important project, which will play a vital role in driving sustainable, impactful urban planning and development to support communities in Upper Egypt," said Dr. Mohamed Misbah, director for the Middle East and Africa region at Khatib & Alami (K&A), an Esri Platinum partner.

The project will leverage a unified geodatabase and a map viewer to explore geostatistical information and generate reports, graphics, and thematic maps. It will also employ mobile applications for data collection that allow government staff to access data from the field. These services, in addition to operational dashboards, will provide a holistic view for policy makers.

Laying the foundation for asset management systems at the governorate (jurisdictional) level, Esri’s ArcGIS software helps integrate them with databases in relevant ministries and central government agencies. This enables these organizations to comprehensively display vast amounts of statistical and spatial information to support long-term planning and execution in line with UELDP's vision and future goals.

Further strengthening the governorates' capacities, GIS will enable local development data to be georeferenced to support decision-making. The implementation of this system was awarded to Esri partners ProSyLab and K&A.

"ProSyLab, as an Esri partner, adds to its achievements [by] participating in this national project," said Mahmoud Moursi, ProSyLab chairman. "The project aims to help the public sector, represented by the UELDP, in establishing a GIS infrastructure, which promotes the concept of data sharing, facilitating the decision-making process, and building capacity."

UELDP aims to localize sustainable development, create new job opportunities, improve the economy, and strengthen government capacity for quality infrastructure and service delivery in select governorates in Upper Egypt. It was piloted in the Qena and Sohag Governorates to address existing development gaps and has met with success, leading to national policy reforms, and even inspiring a scaled-up version of the program for Egypt's 2019 Decent Life initiative.

To learn more about how UELDP is using technology to enhance public services, visit ueldp.gov.eg.

About K&A

Khatib & Alami (K&A) is an international multidisciplinary consultancy composed of architects, engineers, planners, technologists and other project specialists. With 6,000 people in more than 30 locations, K&A has vast experience working at the forefront of fast changing urban environments, with a deep understanding of delivering complex major projects within agreed time frames and budgets.

Since launching its Geospatial Systems Integration division in 1988, K&A has become one of the leaders in its field, with a 200-strong team of GIS experts. K&A helps government and private sector clients make sense of the vast quantities of information and data available to them, providing insight, enabling better decision-making, creating efficiencies, and improving customer experiences. As an Esri Platinum partner, K&A continuously provides innovative smart solutions that address business challenges and exceed customers' expectations. For more information visit www.khatibalami.com.

About ProSyLab

ProSyLab is an information and communications technology company started in 1994. Since then, ProSyLab solutions have supported various customers in both the private and public sectors across Egypt as well as the Middle East.

ProSyLab (PSL) has a unique spirit and expertise which converts challenges into new success stories. With a portfolio of five companies in different market segments, ProSyLab has been supporting private sector and governmental enterprises across Egypt as well as the Middle East. PSL's innovative ideas and solutions are not merely our philosophy, but also our everyday reality. We remain dedicated to leading the world into a more prosperous and progressive future: by enhancing the world to become more diverse, more tolerant, and more just.

About Esri

Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, helps customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969 in Redlands, California, USA, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations globally and in over 200,000 institutions in the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofits, and universities. Esri has regional offices, international distributors, and partners providing local support in over 100 countries on six continents. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial information technology, Esri engineers the most innovative solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics. Visit us at esri.com.

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