Adeeb triggers Egyptians after his $800-donation initiative

CAIRO – 16 January 2018: Prominent media anchor Amr Adeeb triggered anger of Egyptians after he had called Egyptian people to donate with $800 to repay Egypt's public debt during his talk show on Monday.

Although Adeeb stressed that his call to donate with $800 was a joke, but his initiative received bad reactions from Egyptians who expressed their anger on various social media networks.

Moreover, he urged Egyptian authorities to sell embassies’ headquarters in Turkey and France and invest in the expensive buildings owned by the Egyptian state abroad.

"U.S. President Donald Trump criticized buying new headquarters for the American Embassy more expensive than the old one," Adeeb said in his talk show broadcasted on ONE channel on Monday.

Adeeb defended the privatization policy that the Egyptian government has been following recently, stressing that investing in the state-owned buildings and facilities will bring more benefits than those gained by owning such buildings.





"The Egyptian embassies in France and Turkey are very expensive, so we have to sell them and make use of their funds in other sectors," Adeeb added.

On Monday, President Sisi inaugurated several projects in El-Sadat city, Menoufia, including the Beshay Steel factory which is set to produce 60 percent of Egypt’s steel production, in addition to 296 small factories, and a technology city, according to sources in Menoufia.

During the inauguration, Sisi stressed that he is willing to establish textile factories, adding that although such projects should be implemented in seven years, Egypt is ready to finish them in three to four years.

At the same time, President Sisi inaugurated projects in other governorates via video conference, including two hospitals in Banha, a military hospital in Shibin El-Kom, and the first complex of Zewail University, remarking that it is important to preserve good health projects.

In addition, President Sisi inaugurated the Sports City of Port Said, one of the major developmental projects, via video conference.

The sports city houses many facilities like an Olympic-size swimming pool, training swimming pool, indoor halls complex, a hockey arena with stands, a squash complex, a social club, five-a-side football pitches, two tennis arenas and a football stadium.