CAIRO — The Egyptian army has yet to officially announce the end of the anti-terrorism operation it launched in the Sinai Peninsula in 2018. But the expansion of development projects in Sinai with the aim of resettling a large number of residents is a sign that the government is signaling the beginning of a return to normalcy and a reduction of the threat from terrorists.

The development sector in the northern Sinai governorate revealed June 10 that the state has spent 4 billion Egyptian pounds (about $255 million) since 2014 on  projects in the governorate.

Naji Ibrahim, head of the development sector in the governorate, said in June 10 press statements that these projects aim to improve roads and services (electricity, sewage and drinking water) all the while turning Bedouin villages and areas into integrated cities and modern housing complexes. He also mentioned industrial and agricultural projects to cover the needs of the northern Sinai residents, namely the food supply. He also said that there are projects that will attract more investments and residents to permanently work and reside in the governorate, in accordance with the directives of the political leadership.

As for attracting more residents to Sinai, the State Information Service (SIS), which is affiliated with the Egyptian presidency, said in a May 13 statement that the government plans to resettle 3 million Egyptian citizens in northern and southern Sinai in the near future. This number, it added, is to reach 8 million in the long run. The resettlement plan consists of attracting Egyptians to Sinai by providing all means of comfortable and integrated life and developing Bedouin areas into residential communities.