Eng. Hazem El-Ashmouny, Governor of Al Sharkia, participated in a session on empowering local communities and the private sector as active factors in economic development, which was held as part of the activities of the second day of the World Urban Forum, where he expressed his happiness to participate in this important session organized by the Ministry of Local Development in cooperation with the World Forum for Local Economic Development and the Governorates of Sharkia and Beni Suef to achieve a common goal of supporting local economic development in line with the goals of sustainable development, and consolidating it at the level of local communities. During the session, the Governor of Sharkia reviewed the governorate's experience, as a pioneering model in driving the wheel of economic development in Egypt, by implementing a number of policies and mechanisms adopted by the Egyptian government as effective models for involving the private sector, civil society and citizens in the development process, which reflects a real integration between all parties. The governor of Sharkia added that the area of the governorate is 1,770,000 acres, of which 845,000 acres are agricultural, which sends a clear message that Sharkia represents a great support for development in the Arab Republic of Egypt. We also have industrial cities such as 10th of Ramadan, New Salhia, Belbeis Industrial City and Ismailia Gardens, which have provided many job opportunities for young people and have been able to contribute to supporting and advancing Egyptian industries and improving the standard of living of citizens. The governor of Sharkia pointed out that the governorate is witnessing a real boom in implementing infrastructure projects such as the (Al-Uruba Misr) project in Al-Asluji land with investments amounting to 350 million pounds, as well as the project to establish a commercial, logistics and service zone built on an area of 10,000 meters next to the Egyptian Company for Tourism Development (Egyptian Plaza) with investments amounting to 2 billion pounds, which comes within the governorate's plan to expand the establishment of commercial areas and provide the best services to citizens. During the session, a number of important points were discussed and some questions were answered, including: How do local governments integrate economic development strategies that are compatible with the Sustainable Development Goals to reduce regional gaps and promote balanced economic growth? How are justice and social inclusion prioritized in local policies related to the Sustainable Development Goals to address issues such as unemployment, youth migration, and poverty? What are the main strategies for promoting social inclusion, economic resilience, and environmental sustainability in local economic development, and how can these strategies be modified to suit different local contexts? What are the methods that cities can adopt to stimulate green jobs and innovation in line with SDG 8, while addressing local unemployment rates, especially in areas with high youth unemployment rates? How can successful case studies in Sharkia Governorate be used to inspire and inform other regions about improving governance, resource allocation, and stakeholder engagement through cooperation with the private sector? What role can Economic Partnership Councils (EPCs) play in local development initiatives? At the end of the session, the governor expressed his hope that these discussions would produce real recommendations that could be implemented on the ground, contributing charting a better path to achieve comprehensive and sustainable economic development.