CAIRO — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called upon business owners Feb. 26 to make donations to the “Tahya Misr” (Long Live Egypt) Fund to support development in the Sinai Peninsula. The call continues to echo among Egyptian business owners and investors.

During his visit to Sinai Feb. 26, Sisi said, “The development of Sinai is a matter of national security for Egypt, and it will require a great deal of funding to improve the living conditions of the residents, establish agricultural, industrial and urban communities so that people from the Nile Valley area can move there to settle and work.”

Mohammed Farid Khamis, the head of the Egyptian Federation of Investors Associations, was the first to respond to Sisi’s call. Khamis handed Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail a check for 20 million Egyptian pounds (around $1.1 million) as a first payment out of 100 million pounds (around $5.6 million) for the development and reconstruction of Sinai.

The government has stepped up efforts to develop Sinai. A military operation began Feb. 9 to clear the area of terrorist groups and provide security for its citizens. The Egyptian armed forces confirmed that the military action will continue until the total elimination of terrorist groups and elements.