President Abdel Fattah El Sisi met Sunday with members of the presidency's Specialized Council for Economic Development on Sunday to review its activities and assignments.

Sisi stressed that the state is giving special attention to SMEs, which contribute to providing job opportunities, presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef said.

The council members reviewed the progress of the one-thousand factory project in New Cairo.

The state has committed to all its pledges regarding the project and provided it with the infrastructure with now factory owners completing procedures needed for their operation, the members said.

In October, 440 factories are expected to start operation, while the remaining will be opened in following phases, they said.

The members put forward their vision regarding the establishment of a number of new industrial zones built on SME gatherings specialized in food and chemical industries and ready-to-wear garments.

The model is expected to be applied first in Qalubiya to be carried out sequentially in other cities, the spokesman said.

The council members also presented several ideas under the one-and-a-half-million-feddan reclamation project to create comprehensive urban communities, the spokesman added.

They submitted an initial study on the collection, sorting and disposal of waste and the possibility of its recycling, Youssef said.

The members also probed the development project of the Suez Canal region and its great potentials to transform the area into an international path providing logistic and ship fueling and repair services.