Egypt inaugurates largest petroleum complex in Upper Egypt

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday inaugurated the Assiut Gasoline Production Complex, the largest petroleum complex in Upper Egypt, and a number of other developmental projects in the area.

Located in Assiut Province, the Assiut Gasoline Production Complex is “one of the state’s strategic projects, and it is within the framework of development plans in Upper Egypt,” said Bassam Rady, spokesperson of the presidency.

“The project aims to secure gasoline supplies for Upper Egypt’s provinces and save the cost of transporting them from the existing refineries in Cairo, Alexandria, and Suez to various regions of Upper Egypt,” he added.

The newly inaugurated benzene production complex seeks to produce 800,000 tons of gasoline annually, according to Egyptian officials.

“The complex aims to reduce dangers and save costs of transporting the petroleum products from the north to the south, and targets maximizing the utilization of Assiut Oil Refining Company’s assets through bumping new investments in Upper Egypt’s provinces,” said Tarek El-Molla, Egypt’s minister of petroleum and mineral resources.

The project will help achieve sustainable development and improve the quality of life for the Upper Egyptian residents, he added.

President Sisi also inaugurated a number of other infrastructure projects in the region via video conference, including two water plants and seven hospitals.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said during the event that Egypt “adopts a comprehensive plan to develop Upper Egypt in order to remedy historical marginalization and poor services.”