Egypt gears up for 1st int'l youth conf. in Sharm el Sheikh - min.

CAIRO - 22 Aug 2017: Egypt is gearing up for the first international youth conference in Sharm el Sheikh in November, the youth and sports minister said.

During a seminar held at the Middle East News Agency and moderated by MENA Editor-in-Chief and Board Chairman Ali Hassan, Youth and Sports Minister Khaled Abdel Aziz said the event will be held under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.

Arab and foreign chiefs of state and premiers will take part in the gathering along with youths from various world countries, Abdel Aziz said.

The action comes after holding four successful national youth conferences in seven months under the aegis of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.

World chiefs of state lauded the transparency of these conferences which were attended by Sisi.

He said such conferences - which were unprecedented in the region - were meant to tackle several key issues with direct interaction between officials and youths.

Meanwhile, the minister noted that the ministry adopted a new idea of establishing a EGP 250 million charity fund for supporting sports.

The fund -which comprises Egyptian businessmen - is expected to reach EGP 20 billion within the framework of preparations for the 2020 summer Olympics.

As for allowing fans to attend football matches, he said this will be gradually achieved under coordination with clubs and the Egyptian Football Association.

He added that the ministry plans to upgrade 3750 youth centers nationwide by the end of 2018.