Abu Dhabi sustainable developer Masdar is tapping into UAE foreign assistance funds to invest in rooftop solar projects in rural Egypt.

The off-grid scheme will provide power for 70 villages and 141 communities. It means 61,000 homes, clinics and hospitals in remote areas will have access to a reliable power supply from renewables.

“There’s a fundamental need to invest in power in Egypt and this is an important project,” said Ahmed Belhoul, CEO of Masdar, speaking at MEED’s Invest in Egypt 2014. “This will bring energy for areas that really need it for internet, for basic services that allow economic activity.”

Masdar has previously invested in larger solar projects in Morocco and Jordan.

Egypt is facing an energy crisis as peak demand grows by around 5 per cent per year, and its infrastructure ages.