Security of citizens, tourism and archeological sites along with enforcing the rule of law are top priority, Luxor's new security chief Essam el-Hemaly said Wednesday.

In his first statement to MENA after taking office as Interior Minister Magdi Abdel-Ghaffar approved earlier Wednesday, el-Hemaly said plans were outlined to tighten security up in the tourist and archeological sites to ensure the security of tourists in the city.

He affirmed that he was well familiar with Luxor and the habits of its people as he assumed the post of the chief investigator in the city two years ago.

El-Hemaly was born in the Upper Egypt governorate of Asyut in 1960. He was graduated from Police Academy in 1982, and was promoted in positions till assuming many posts such as the chief investigator in Sohag, then a director of the investigation department in Aswan, Qena, and Luxor, and assistant interior minister for public security in southern Upper Egypt.