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عربي

Economic Cooperation ( Official Development Assistance, ODA )
 


Grant Aid

Japanese Grant Aid is the provision of funds without any refunding obligation on the recipient developing country, i.e. money provided purely as grants.

The sectors covered by Japanese Grant Aid are basically areas of low profitability, where it would be difficult to obtain loans. Such areas include basic human needs (BHN) such as medicine and health care, hygiene and sanitation, potable water supply, primary and secondary education, environmental protection, rural and agricultural development, as well as human resources development.


Suez Canal Bridge
click the photo for larger image

 

In Egypt, under this Japanese Grant Scheme, many important projects have been implemented, such as Cairo University Pediatric Hospital, the National Cultural Center (known as the Cairo Opera House), Water Supply and Sewage Upgrading in Giza City, the Waste Disposal System in Alexandria City, the Suez Canal Bridge, etc.

Up until Japan’s fiscal year 2003, Japan had granted a total of JPY 13 billion (approximately US$1,200 million) to Egypt under this scheme. In Fiscal Year 2003, the total of US$56 million was provided.


Major Projects to serve the Egyptian people

Suez Canal Bridge
 

The Suez Canal Bridge or the “Egyptian-Japanese Friendship Bridge” was built through a Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) grant. It was agreed to implement this joint project between Egypt and Japan during the visit of President Mubarak to Japan in March 1995, as a substantial contribution by Japan to the plan approved by the Egyptian Government in 1994 to develop Sinai Peninsula (through developing agriculture in the north of Sinai, mining in the south and tourism industry on shores of the Red Sea, with the settlement of three million population in Sinai by 2017).

The bridge was inaugurated in October 2001. The Japanese Government bore 60% of the total cost of the bridge, 13.5 billion yen, while the Egyptian Government bore 40% of the cost, about 9 billion yen. Japan made use of its accumulated expertise gained from building bridges in Japan which has many islands and rivers. Modern techniques were transferred to Egypt, and mutual friendship was deepened through the joint work with Egyptian counterparts.

The bridge is 9 km long, including 5 km approaching roads and a 4 km cable stayed bridge. The clearance of the bridge is 70 meters above the water level of Suez Canal, and that makes it the highest clearance of the bridges in the world that have been built on a flat land. The height of the two main pylons supporting the main span of the bridge is 154 m each.The towers were designed in the shape of Pharaonic obelisks, which were established to commemorate kings’ achievements in ancient Egypt.

With the completion of the bridge, the time of moving from the main land to Sinai has decreased, and a new road connecting Asia and Africa was established. A memorial panel depicting the Egyptian and Japanese flags conbined as a handshake was placed in the middle of the main part of the bridge. This sends a message to the passing ships in the Suez Canal announcing the friendship between the two countries and peace of the region.

The Peace Bridge Marathon

On the occasion of the 2nd anniversary of the inauguration of the bridge on December 2, 2003, the “Peace Bridge Marathon” was held under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism. The Japanese professional marathon runner, Mari Tanigawa participated and about 100 Egyptian runners, 80 Japanese tourists gathered in Qantara. All participants ran or walked 2 km of the Egyptian- Japanese Friendship Bridge. At the end, participants received a papyrus certificate that they had competed the marathon.

To cross the Suez Canal between Asia and Africa, ferries used to be needed. However, with the construction of the Suez Canal Bridge, it became easy to cross the Canal. The bridge represents the hope for peace in the Middle East.

Cairo Pediatric Hospital
 

Japan started the construction of the Pediatric Hospital in Cairo in 1980. Technical cooperation for the project lasted for twenty years between 1983 and 2002, during which 43 experts and specialized doctors & nurses were dispatched. Also 16 Egyptian doctors were trained in Japan and the medical staff of doctors, nurses and technicians were created.

 

The joint technical cooperation has also contributed to improving medical techniques, strengthened medical & curative systems and enhanced the emergency system of the hospital. After Japanese technology has been transferred to the hospital, it is now known as the Japanese hospital. It has significantly improved techniques of children’s heart surgeries, intensive care rooms and curative systems of children’s emergency cases.

The hospital plays an important role as a central medical institution for pediatrics in Egypt, and this role has been increasing to the extent that death rates of children in Egypt has decreased. The hospital receives many trainees from different parts of Egypt as well as from the neighboring countries and it extends technical assistance.

This hospital, which is affiliated to Cairo University, plays a vital role in the implementation of the ongoing Egyptian-Japanese medical cooperation for Iraq. A number of doctors of this hospital were among the 8 Egyptian doctors who participated in the joint team that was dispatched to Iraq in July 2003 to conduct the field study. Also four Iraqi doctors partook in the workshop held in Egypt in last October.Details of the proposed training to be held in Cairo for Iraqi medical staff in four fields were agreed.

The four fields are: pediatrics, intensive care, nursing and endoscopic surgeries. Due to the economic sanctions that had been imposed on Iraq for 13 years, Iraq is very underdeveloped in the field of medical techniques and equipment. It is expected that Cairo Pediatric Hospital will utilize its experiences gained through long years of Japanese technical cooperation in the reconstruction of Iraq.

Cairo Opera House
 

Cairo had an opera house constructed in the occasion of the opening of Suez Canal in 1869. It is said that the Italian architect who built it had imitated Alla Scala of Milan. However, the opera was unfortunately burned in 1971.

It was agreed to build a new opera house during the visit of President Mubarak to Japan in 1983, and the construction was completed in 1988 though a grant from the Japanese government.

Ever since, Cairo Opera House has become a center for cultural activities in Egypt. Now after 15 years of operation, the equipment and devices of the Opera House became old and faced disruptions. Therefore, the request submitted by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture in the last year to provide new sound & light systems were accepted.

The Opera House was provided with new digital systems, changing the operating system from the old analog system to a digital system. Japanese experts trained technicians of the Opera House to operate the new equipment on two terms, the first in November of the past year and the second in April of this year.

As happened with the new Opera House, the grant recipient country operates the project and supports it after termination of the grant cooperation. However, in case of the occurrence of unexpected problem that could disrupt the project, a follow up assistance could be extended. In such a case, assistance will be extended to the recipient country in order to maintain efficiency of the project. Among the forms of the follow up assistance: the follow up study, dispatch of examination equipment and dispatch of maintenance teams. There is also urgent engineering works for emergency cases.

The Opera House has become more enjoyable after the new renovations. We hope that everybody go to it to enjoy its activities.


Table of Grant Aid Projects for Egypt until 2004
>> Click here to see the table of grant aid projects for Egypt


Japan's Assistance to Egypt's Top

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