Egypt’s President Affirms Significance of ‘National Projects’

Sisi during his meeting with the head of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority. (Egyptian Presidency)
Sisi during his meeting with the head of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority. (Egyptian Presidency)
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Egypt’s President Affirms Significance of ‘National Projects’

Sisi during his meeting with the head of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority. (Egyptian Presidency)
Sisi during his meeting with the head of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority. (Egyptian Presidency)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on Saturday affirmed that the hard work in “national projects” being implemented in the country aims to establish a new Egyptian reality, characterized by a high quality of life, and an increase in employment and development opportunities for all Egyptians.

Egypt, like other countries in the world, is facing an economic crisis due to the consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The crisis has been compounded by a drop in the currency against the dollar.

Sisi convened with the head of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority Major General, Ahmed Al-Azazy.

The spokesman for the Presidency, Ahmed Fahmy, stated that the meeting reviewed the status of a number of Engineering Authority projects in various sectors nationwide, particularly establishing and developing the road network, and achieving optimal utilization of lands and main roads to establish integrated industrial and agricultural development areas, in order to ease traffic jams.

This is in addition to increasing and facilitating the movement of trade and investments and promoting various economic activities, in a way that contributes to achieving the goals of comprehensive and sustainable development.

Engineering Authority projects, within the framework of the national strategy for the reconstruction and development of Sinai, were also presented as well as the status of the construction of projects in new cities across the country.

Sisi gave directives to continue work, while committing to the designated timetables, and to apply the highest standards in the stages of planning, implementation, follow-up, and evaluation. This is while taking into consideration environmental requirements.

The major development projects carried out by the state were not for show, but necessary to establish the investment environment and infrastructure to achieve comprehensive economic development that raises the standard of living of all people, said Sisi earlier at a ceremony marking the 71st Police Day at the Police Academy Conference Complex.

"It is impossible to embark on the path of modern industrialization and massive export without having the necessary elements to achieve this, including cities, roads, a transportation network, technology, electricity, water, and sanitation."



Syria Arrests Officer Linked to Notorious ‘Death Checkpoint’ Near Damascus

Maj. Gen. Mowaffaq Nazeer Haidar, a former commander of the Syrian army’s Third Armoured Division (Interior Ministry) 
Maj. Gen. Mowaffaq Nazeer Haidar, a former commander of the Syrian army’s Third Armoured Division (Interior Ministry) 
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Syria Arrests Officer Linked to Notorious ‘Death Checkpoint’ Near Damascus

Maj. Gen. Mowaffaq Nazeer Haidar, a former commander of the Syrian army’s Third Armoured Division (Interior Ministry) 
Maj. Gen. Mowaffaq Nazeer Haidar, a former commander of the Syrian army’s Third Armoured Division (Interior Ministry) 

Syrian authorities said on Tuesday they had arrested Maj. Gen. Mowaffaq Nazeer Haidar, a former commander of the Syrian army’s Third Armored Division, over allegations of war crimes and abuses committed at a notorious checkpoint near Damascus.

Haidar, who oversaw the Qutayfah checkpoint along the Damascus-Homs highway north of the capital, is accused of playing a direct role in the disappearance of thousands of Syrians during the country's civil war.

The checkpoint, located near the Third Division’s headquarters, one of Syria's most powerful military units, was widely known among Syrians as a site of torture and arbitrary detention.

In a statement, the Internal Security Directorate in the coastal city of Latakia said Haidar had been detained and described him as a “criminal responsible for the so-called ‘death checkpoint’ at Qutayfah,” and a leading figure in raids carried out by pro-government forces across various parts of the country.

He has been referred to the counter-terrorism unit for interrogation on charges including war crimes and grave violations against civilians, the statement added.

The Qutayfah checkpoint, located at the northern entrance to Damascus, was one of the most notorious and feared military checkpoints during Syria’s civil war, widely associated with the regime’s crackdown on dissidents and army deserters.

Once operated by the Syrian army’s powerful Third Armored Division, the checkpoint was known by Syrians under grim monikers such as the “Death Checkpoint,” the “Checkpoint of Fear,” the “Checkpoint of Horror,” and the “Checkpoint of Arrests and Executions.”

It became a symbol of terror, particularly for residents of the Qalamoun region, but also for Syrians across the country.

According to earlier media reports, thousands of Syrians vanished at the Qutayfah checkpoint during the height of the conflict, many detained without formal charges or due process, often on mere suspicion of opposition sympathies or draft evasion.