Egypt Classifies ‘King Salman University’ as National Project

Egypt Classifies ‘King Salman University’ as National Project
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Egypt Classifies ‘King Salman University’ as National Project

Egypt Classifies ‘King Salman University’ as National Project

The Egyptian government considered the project to establish ‘King Salman bin Abdulaziz International University” in Egypt as one of the country’s national projects.

The university has three campuses in South Sinai governorate in the cities of El-Tor, Sharm El-Sheikh, and Ras Sedr.

The first phase of the project includes the establishment of 10 faculties. Five other faculties are planned to be added to the university in its next phase.

The university extends over an area of 35 acres and includes four faculties, as well as a number of administrative, sports, service, and housing blocks. It also accommodates about 20,500 students.

According to the Egyptian cabinet, the decision issued aims at expediting the project's implementation in accordance with the required conditions, as it is scheduled to begin operating in the next academic year 2020-2021.

In December 2019, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi visited the university’s headquarters in Sharm El Sheikh and was briefed with the executive agenda of the establishment of its campuses.



Syrian Army Takes Control of Tishrin Dam from SDF

Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)
Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)
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Syrian Army Takes Control of Tishrin Dam from SDF

Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)
Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)

Syrian army troops have deployed near the Tishrin Dam in the eastern countryside of Aleppo province, setting up military positions in what appears to be a step toward assuming control of the facility from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Pro-government broadcaster Syria TV cited an official source on Monday as saying the military had entered the outskirts of the Tishrin Dam area and established military outposts in preparation for a handover of the strategic site.

The dam, located near the city of Manbij, has been under the control of the Kurdish-led SDF, which played a key role in the fight against ISIS in northern Syria with the backing of the US-led coalition.

Syria’s transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and SDF leader Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement on March 10 aimed at integrating all civil and military institutions of the Kurdish-led autonomous administration in northern and northeastern Syria into the Syrian state.

Syrian authorities, the SDF, and Türkiye had reached an agreement, brokered by the United States, for the transfer of the Tishrin Dam to the Syrian government.

Under the deal, the military will deploy forces around the dam, while teams from Damascus have already begun maintenance and upgrading works on the facility.

The agreement aims to bring an end to the fighting that had erupted between Syrian factions loyal to Türkiye, which have integrated into the Syrian army, and the SDF. The clashes, which had persisted for over three months since December 12, have now subsided.

On Thursday, Türkiye’s Ministry of Defense announced that Ankara is closely monitoring the implementation of the agreement regarding the handover of the dam.

The deployment of Syrian forces around the dam comes amid reports of renewed tensions in the area, which had been relatively calm for nearly a month. Syria’s state-run Syria TV reported that the military had sent reinforcements to areas previously affected by clashes with the SDF.

Additionally, reports said the SDF and Syrian forces were on alert after Turkish drones launched an attack near the dam, following the death of a fighter from Türkiye-backed factions in the region. The situation continues to evolve as both sides remain on edge in the strategic area.