Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab presided over a ministerial meeting on Sunday to check on steps taken so far to relocate the leather tanning industry from Sour Magra el Ayoun in Old Cairo district to Badr City.

The meeting, attended by the ministers of trade and industry and planning and Cairo governor, reviewed steps to set up a leather tanning city in Badr in a bid to lure more investments to this vital industry.

The first stage of the project aims at paving roads in the new city, providing essential services, setting up drainage treatment plants and building production units, said cabinet spokesman Hossam Qawish.

The first stage is about to be finalized at a total cost of 466 million pounds, he added.

The second stage, that aims at completing infrastructure works, is to cost 1.1 billion pounds, he added.

The participants also agreed on the importance of setting up a joint stock company for industrial development to be responsible for developing Sour Magra el Ayoun and allocating the revenues to carry out the third stage, estimated to cost 1.8 billion pounds, he added.