Qena () is one of the governorates of Egypt. It is located in Upper Egypt, the southern part of the country. It covers a stretch of the Nile valley. Its capital is the city of Qena.
Overview
The rate of poverty is more than 60% in this governorate but recently some social safety networks have been provided in the form of financial assistance and job opportunities. The funding has been coordinated by the country's Ministry of Finance and with assistance from international organizations.
Haya Karima, an Egyptian initiative endorsed by Abdel Fatah El-Sisi has implemented 690 projects in Qena Governorate. The projects include: projects in the sanitation sectors, drinking water sector, electricity sector, in the health field, in the field of youth and sports, agricultural projects, projects for service complexes and projects in the road sector.
Municipal divisions
The governorate is divided into municipal divisions with a total estimated population as of January 2024 of 3,705,404. In the case of Qena governorate, there is one kism, a number of marakiz and 1 new city. Sometimes a markaz and a kism share a name. + Municipal Divisions Anglicized name Native name Arabic transliteration Population(January 2023 Est.) TypeAbu Tesht 530,798 MarkazDishna 443,079 MarkazEl Waqf 92,142 MarkazFarshut 214,387 MarkazNag Hammadi 660,690 MarkazNaqada 171,910 MarkazNew Qena 1,699 New CityQena 261,945 Kism (fully urban)Qena 513,968 MarkazQift (Gebtu/Coptos) 162,438 MarkazQus 466,855 Markaz
Population
According to population estimates from 2015 the majority of residents in the governorate lived in rural areas, with an urbanization rate of only 19.7%. Out of an estimated 3,045,504 people residing in the governorate, 2,445,051 people lived in rural areas as opposed to only 600,453 in urban areas.
According to population estimates from 2024 the majority of residents in the governorate live in rural areas, with an urbanization rate of only 18.7%. Out of an estimated 3,705,404 people residing in the governorate, 3,012,493 people live in rural areas as opposed to only 692,911 in urban areas.
Cities and towns
As of 2018, nine cities (or towns) in Qena had a population of over 15,000 inhabitants.
City or Town Native name Arabic Name Nov. 1996 Census Nov. 2006 Census July 2017 Pop. Est. Abu Tesht أبو تشت Abū Tisht 10,469 13,015 17,022 Dishna دشنا Dishnā 44,125 52,534 60,585 El Waqf الوقف Al-Waqf 24,033 27,525 32,495 Farshut فرشوط Farshūṭ 43,796 51,052 66,447 Nag Hammadi نجع حمادى Naj' Ḥammādī 33,252 45,038 55,767 Naqada نقادة Naqādah 18,905 21,530 25,050 Qena قنا Qinā 155,382 201,191 236,624 Qift قفط Qifṭ 17,918 22,063 22,465 Qus قوص Qūṣ 49,054 60,068 78,959
Industrial zones According to the Governing Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), the following industrial zones are located in Qena: Zone nameEl Kalaheen Industrial ZoneHou Industrial Zone
Projects and programs In 1981, the Basic Village Service Program (BVS) had several water, road and other projects going on in several marakiz in the Qena Governorate.
In 2016, Switzerland committed to funding a solid waste management program in Qena, a project with the Egyptian Ministry of Environment that will conclude in 2021. The National Solid Waste Management Programme (NSWMP) involves the construction of infrastructure for new as well as the expansion and improvement of existing waste treatment, landfill, and recycling facilities.
In 2018, the Our District (Hayenna) project was launched with the help and investment of Switzerland. The project is to improve land use, and living conditions for people in the Qena Governorate.
In 2023, the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development announced the Citizen's Investment Plan for the Qena Governorate. The governorate is expected to have 277 development projects, and the value of investments directed to Qena Governorate will be EGP 4.7 billion. The aim of the plan is to address current development gaps to achieve regional convergence in living standards and incomes.
Notable people Amr Gamal (footballer) Mohamed Ramadan (actor, singer) Abdel Rahman el-Abnudi (poet) Amal Dunqul (poet) Ahmad Fathi Sorour (politician) Makram Ebeid (politician) Mansour el-Essawy (politician) Omar Suleiman (politician)
See also Dendera Hu Naqada culture
References
External links
El Wattan News of Qena Governorate