The meeting was attended by Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology; Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities; Dr. Sameh El-Hefny, Minister of Civil Aviation; Engineer Raafat Hindi, Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology for Technology Infrastructure and Digital Transformation; Sherif El-Kilani, Deputy Minister of Finance for Tax Policies; Ambassador Tamer El-Miligy, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Consular Affairs and Egyptians Abroad; Ahmed Amawi, Head of the Egyptian Customs Authority; Pilot Wael El-Nashar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Airports Company; Major General Ashraf El-Prince, representing the Ports Sector at the Ministry of Interior; and officials from relevant ministries and authorities.
Dr. Madbouly stressed that the state is working according to a plan aimed at doubling the number of incoming tourists. It is currently seeking to take steps to improve services provided to tourists arriving in Egypt from various countries, particularly facilitating entry and exit procedures at all airports and ports. This can be achieved through developing the e-visa platform, upgrading the infrastructure and facilities at various airports, and improving the overall tourist experience.
He called for the need for the tourist coming to Egypt to feel a real and tangible change in all the procedures followed at the various airports and ports, starting from obtaining the visa, through his arrival at the airport, then his exit from it, as well as his dealings with the various authorities of the state during the period he spends in Egypt. This is to create a unique experience that will inspire replication and promotion in various tourism markets.
Counselor Mohamed El-Homsani, the official spokesperson for the Cabinet, stated that the meeting included a presentation on the proposed electronic urgent visa system. This system will operate on a simple and streamlined process that will enable tourists to obtain visas upon arrival at the airport, whether through an electronic platform, a mobile phone application, or self-service points. It was also noted that the proposed implementation plan for this system includes starting a pilot phase at Cairo International Airport, followed by the first phase at seven other airports, and then expanding in the second phase to cover all 14 airports.
Madbouly directed the rapid development of comprehensive implementation mechanisms for the proposed development of the electronic urgent visa system, which will contribute to achieving the system's objectives of facilitating entry procedures for tourists and improving services provided to them at airports and ports.