Egypt plans to offer land owned by its water and sanitation utility to private investors for the construction of hotels, commercial units, and solar power plants to secure sustainable funding for infrastructure maintenance, the cabinet said on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly chaired a meeting in the New Administrative Capital to review procedures for developing the drinking water and wastewater sector. Cabinet spokesperson Mohamed El-Homsany stated that the measures aim to maximise the use of utility assets and increase financial resources for water companies across the republic. El-Homsany identified several geographically prime sites owned by the Holding Company for Water and Wastewater (HCWW) and its subsidiaries that are being considered for private sector partnerships. These developments would include tourist hotels and accommodation facilities, administrative and commercial units, as well as industrial and agricultural activities.
The spokesperson noted that several investors have already expressed interest in developing hotel facilities on these lands. The government is also exploring the use of station perimeters, particularly those in provincial capitals and along main roads, for commercial shops, billboards, and mobile network towers to generate revenue for station efficiency and maintenance. This development package further includes an expansion of solar energy installations at water and treatment plants. Officials reviewed a proposal for a solar power plant at the wastewater treatment facility in 6th of October City, to be implemented in partnership with the private sector to achieve significant financial savings.
Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities Sherif El-Sherbiny confirmed that his ministry is coordinating with international partners to expand solar energy use, citing the availability of suitable spaces. El-Sherbiny added that a committee has been formed within the ministry to maximise asset utilisation, while another committee will oversee a unified procurement system for equipment and maintenance tasks.
The meeting reviewed total investments injected into the drinking water and sanitation sector since 2014, noting that the volume of completed projects necessitates sustainable funding for ongoing operations to protect the capital already deployed. Attendees included El-Sherbiny, Deputy Minister for Utilities Sayed Ismail, Acting HCWW Chairman AhmedGaber, Vice President of the New Urban Communities Authority for Utilities Ahmed Omran, and Mohamed Hassan, CEO of the Egypt Water and Wastewater Regulatory Agency.
