Moscow and Cairo signed an agreement for Russia to build a nuclear power plant in Egypt, with Russia extending a loan to Egypt to cover the cost of construction. The plant, Egypt’s first, would be built at Dabaa in the north of the country and was expected to be completed by 2022. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi gave few details but said the project would involve the building of a ‘third-generation’ plant with four reactors. It is not clear how much the deal is worth but Sisi said the loan from Russia would be paid off over 35 years.

Sisi, who came to power in 2014, said in February that he had signed a memorandum of understanding to go ahead with the nuclear project. Egypt, with a population of 90 million and vast energy requirements, is seeking to diversify its energy sources. As well as a nuclear plant, Sisi has talked of building solar and wind energy facilities in the coming three years to generate around 4,300 megawatts of power. The country also recently discovered a large reserve of natural gas off the Mediterranean coast.

Did You Know???

• The Statue of Liberty was intended for Egypt.
• The World’s Oldest Dress was found in Egypt and it is 5,000 years old.
• The lost Egyptian city of Heracleion was found after 1200 years under the sea.
• The famous Great Pyramid at Giza was built as a burial place for King Khufu (2589-2566 B.C.) and took more than 20 years to build.
• For ancient Egyptians, bread was the most important food and beer was their favorite drink. Models of brewers were even left in tombs to ensure that the deceased had plenty of beer in the next world.