Lake Manzala, the largest freshwater lake, was ordered by President Sisi to be developed in 2019 to become a global tourist destination.

The Egyptian state has launched several major development projects that have contributed significantly to the advancement of the Egyptian economy in the coming years. The Egyptian Lakes Development Project was one of the mega national projects to complete the real development process that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi began by issuing his directives to develop the lakes, solve the obstacles and problems they face, and restore them to their former glory, even turning them into world-class lakes.

During the inauguration of a number of projects in Damietta Governorate, and while listening to the latest developments in the development and improvement of Lake Manzala, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi emphasized the need for the lake, after its development and improvement, to comply with international standards, such as those of lakes in developed countries.

Lake Manzala is one of the most important lakes in Egypt, overlooking four governorates, namely Dakahlia, Damietta, Port Said, and Sharqia. It is located north of Dakahlia Governorate, and the presence of the lake in this area has led to the growth of many crafts related to fishing in the lake.

The crafts of wooden boat building, fishing net manufacturing, ice production, speedboat engine repair, fish trading, and market distribution have spread throughout the region, making it famous for these fishing-related crafts.

The president instructed the Ministry of Environment to review factories that dispose of industrial waste in lakes, and instructed the Ministry of Agriculture to provide fish fry to be released into the lake after the completion of development, dredging, and deepening operations. He also directed the Ministry of Housing to build suitable housing for fishermen working on the lake to prevent any encroachment on it, noting that the lake's development began in 2019 and was completed by 2021, making it a global tourist destination.

Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, said that the ministry, through the Lake Development Authority, in cooperation with other relevant authorities, is undertaking efforts to develop Lake Manzala, which included cleaning up and removing encroachments, and dredging, given the lake's important role in meeting the local market's demand for fish, especially tilapia.

With the state's interest in developing the lake after a long period of neglect and removing the encroachments that had occurred over the years, work on the lake has resumed. The lake is of great importance to a large segment of the population in the northern part of the governorate, as it is their source of livelihood. This has prompted the state to resolve all the chronic problems in the lake, including pollution. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi issued a decree to establish the largest purification plant on the Bahar El-Baqar drain, which discharges waste into the lake and increases its pollution.