Egypt's Ministry of Housing has embarked upon an aggressive programme to build more than 1.1 million residential units over the next five years as part of its efforts to cater to the surging demand for affordable housing in the country, reported Daily News Egypt.

Establishing new urban communities became one of the engines of economic growth in Egypt and building sustainably is a priority in the country’s 2030 Vision, stated the report citing Khaled Abbas, deputy minister of housing.

Abbas was speaking at a recent forum hosted by Swiss-based LafargeHolcim Group, a world leader in the building materials industry, at the American University in Cairo (AUC).

The LafargeHolcim Forum for Sustainable Construction was also attended by Swiss ambassador in Cairo Paul Garnier; Lafarge Egypt CEO Hussein Mansi besides the global icon of architecture Norman Foster and more than 1,500 guests from Egypt and 52 countries, including experts, researchers, academics, engineers, architects, and representatives of companies working in the field of architecture.

"We will be waiting for the recommendations of the LafargeHolcim Forum in order to learn from the output," said the deputy minster.

Abbas said the organisation of such international forums reflect the appreciation of the international community towards the Egyptian government efforts in establishing mega construction projects.

Roland Kohler, chairperson of LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction, said: "The challenges we are facing today are global issues. Topics like climate change, population growth, and migration became a shared concern which impact our lives."

"Our group has been present in Egypt since 1864 when we provided more than 200,000 tonnes of building materials for the construction of the Suez Canal. Today, Lafarge Egypt participates in many mega national projects," he added.