Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hani Sewilam, called for jointly financed Arab water and climate projects to strengthen regional water security, while holding talks with Saudi officials to expand bilateral cooperation in water management.
According to a ministry statement, Sewilam made the remarks during a high-level ministerial session at the Seventh Arab Water Forum, held as part of the inaugural Saudi Water Week in Jeddah.
Addressing ministers, senior officials, and representatives of regional and international organisations, Sewilam said the scale of water challenges facing the Arab region requires moving beyond policy coordination towards implementing practical, bankable regional initiatives.
He highlighted Egypt’s experience in managing water scarcity through its second-generation Water 2.0 programme, which focuses on maximising water-use efficiency, expanding non-conventional water resources, increasing wastewater treatment and reuse, and deploying digital technologies, satellite imagery, early warning systems, and drones to support water management.
Sewilam also highlighted Egypt’s major water reuse projects, including the Bahr El-Baqar, El-Mahsama, and New Delta treatment plants.
The minister proposed developing a regional pipeline of bankable water and climate projects covering desalination for agriculture, water reuse, digital transformation, early warning systems, capacity building, and climate adaptation, while making greater use of climate finance mechanisms and regional and international development funds.
He said achieving Arab water security requires sharing successful national experiences, strengthening existing regional cooperation frameworks, and mobilising financing to translate priorities into implementable projects.
On the sidelines of the event, Sewilam met Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadley to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation.
The ministers reviewed progress in implementing a 2022 memorandum of understanding covering flood risk management, dam construction and maintenance, modern irrigation technologies, sustainable water management, and climate adaptation.
Sewilam said both sides have already begun exchanging technical visits, including Saudi delegations touring Egypt’s Bahr El-Baqar and New Delta water treatment projects, while Egyptian experts visited Saudi Arabia’s Shuaibah desalination plant.
The two ministers also discussed coordination ahead of the 11th World Water Forum, to be hosted by Riyadh in 2027, preparations for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, and future cooperation in agricultural desalination, digital water management, smart water systems, and groundwater recharge technologies.
Sewilam concluded by inviting his Saudi counterpart to participate in the Ninth Cairo Water Week, which Egypt will host alongside meetings of the Arab Ministerial Water Council and the Arab Water Conference.
