Cairo: Egyptian authorities Thursday tightened security in Sharm Al Shaikh a day before a major investment conference is to open in the Red Sea resort town.

President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi met with ministers of defence and interior as well as top army commanders to review security arrangements for the Egypt Economic Development Conference in Sharm Al Shaikh, state media reported.

The Egyptian leader ordered ‘firmness’ in dealing with any attacks on military and government facilities, President spokesman Alaa Youssef said.

There has been a rise in violent assaults blamed on insurgents in Egypt mainly in North Sinai in recent months amid a tough crackdown on loyalists of deposed president Mohammad Mursi.

Egypt hopes the conference, the country’s largest business forum since the 2011 ouster of long-time president Hosni Mubarak, will revive the economy battered by political upheaval of the past four years.

Delegations from 90 countries and 25 regional and international organisations will attend the three-day event, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri said Thursday.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander of the UAE Armed Forces is leading a big delegation at the gathering to be attended by Rulers of Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan as well as prime ministers of Italy, Algeria and Portugal.

“Intensive participation in the conference is evidence of the world’s interest in Egypt,” Shukri said.

The national carrier, EgyptAir, said it is operating 44 flights to transport participants from Cairo to Sharm Al Shaikh.

Egyptian government will propose projects for investment worth $35 billion (Dh129 billion) at the gathering.

The conference brings back Sharm Al Shaikh, which used to be a resort for Mubarak, into spotlight. The scenic city suffered as the nation’s tourism was hit hard by the post-Mubarak turmoil.

In the past few days, local TV stations showed hotels and facilities in the South Sinai city getting a facelift as thousands of security personnel were being deployed.

The city’s taxi drivers said they have been ordered by local authorities to wear a special uniform during the event, according to local media.

Portraits of Al Sissi and welcome signs have been put up all over the city to greet the global visitors.