The New Valley Project or Toshka Project consists of building a system of canals to carry water from Lake Nasser to irrigate part of the sandy wastes of the Western Desert of Egypt, which is part of the Sahara Desert. In 1997, the Egyptian government decided to develop a new valley (as opposed to the existing Nile Valley) where agricultural and industrial communities would develop. A groundbreaking initiative outlined by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt, aims to reclaim an area of more than 2,200 km2 of desert by 2024 in the South Valley of the Toshka area. It will boost agricultural production in accordance with the state’s efforts to encourage investment and create job opportunities through agricultural activity, food manufacturing and associated urban activities.