CAIRO, Jan 12 (Aswat Masriya) The Egyptian government has committed 630 million Egyptian pounds to developing industrial projects in Assiut and Sohag in Upper Egypt, Deputy Prime Minister Ziad Bahaa El-Din said on Saturday, adding that 222 million pounds have already been sent to the authorities of the mentioned governorates.

The statement said that 180 million Egyptian pounds have been directed to Assiut’s industrial areas while 450 were directed to Sohag’s.

The interim government is trying to revive Egypt’s economy which has profoundly suffered since the Jan. 25 uprising of 2011.

About 27% of Egyptians live in rural Upper Egypt, which includes almost half of the country’s under-privileged population.

Egypt’s poorest governorates, Qena, Sohgag and Assiut, are all in that region.