Sohila Said, an Egyptian architect and engineer, is soaring to new heights after playing a key role in the construction of the New Alamein City, a cooperation project between Egypt and China.
The project, being constructed by the Egyptian branch of the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC Egypt) under the Belt and Road Initiative, is crucial in the country's strategy to promote urban development.
Egypt, a leading economy on the African continent, faces a population boom amid challenging economic and urban conditions, as just 4 percent of land along the Nile River is home to 99 percent of the more than 100 million Egyptians.
In 2015, the Egyptian government launched a transformative agenda to tackle its developmental challenges.
In response, to the north of Cairo, the New Alamein City is rising majestically from the desert, expected to become an economic and industrial hub.
"[When the project is completed,] it will be better than everything. Wow. I was working here one time. I can tell my children, your mom was working here," said Sohila.
Together with her Chinese colleagues, Sohila is now responsible for ensuring that the construction boom is developing according to plan.
"Working at this mega project and also with an international company like CSCEC is giving me good [preparation] for my future. I want to go outside, to be a good engineer outside. This makes me here the first step to go there," she said.
Sohila said there are still conservative beliefs in Egypt that insist women should stay at home, which at times proves to be a challenge in a male-dominated work environment.
"The laborers, how they feel about women at the site? Like, I can't treat her like an engineer. I can't treat her like a woman. Go away. I can deal with them. And also our Chinese company is a good protector for us," she said.
However, her expertise is highly recognized and appreciated by other engineers.
"Ms. Sohila is a very helpful woman with us and also has experience to benefit us from many sides. It's up to her. It's up to her willingness for the work. I saw Engineer Sohila has passion to work here," said one of her male colleagues.
"I think girls can do anything. If she wants to do anything, she can do anything. Maybe sometimes you can see here in Egypt, you see mechanical engineers. Girls can go under the car to fix it and do anything. So, women can do anything," she said.
Egyptian female engineer breaks barriers in construction of New Alamein City
