The ninth Cairo Water Week will run from October 25 to 29, with 11 ministers and special envoys confirmed to attend and 114 technical and scientific sessions planned, as organisers place water security, peace, and sustainable development at the centre of this year’s programme.
Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam reviewed final preparations for the event, which will also bring together four deputy ministers or heads of delegations, as well as representatives of international organisations, research institutions, and universities.
Held under the theme “Water as a Catalyst for Peace, Shared Prosperity and a Sustainable Planet,” the event will involve organisations including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNESCO, the International Water Management Institute, Germany’s GIZ, and the World Water Council. The European Union and FAO have joined as co-organisers.
The programme includes a final preparatory session ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference, as well as discussions on green water, capacity building in Africa and the Arab region, and a high-level symposium on water security organised in cooperation with China’s Ministry of Water Resources and the World Water Council.
Sessions will also address bilateral water partnerships in the Nile Basin, the African Water Facility Strategy for 2026–2030, and the Africa Water Vision and Policy 2063, along with preparations for the 11th World Water Forum in Saudi Arabia.
The seventh Arab Water Conference will be held alongside Cairo Water Week on October 26–27, together with a meeting of the Arab Ministerial Water Council.
An international exhibition and conference on water, wastewater, infrastructure, and energy will also run from October 26 to 28 as part of the programme, while Cairo Water Week activities are being linked with Aqua Energy and the Sahara agricultural exhibition.
The scientific committee received 122 research abstracts and accepted 104 after an initial review. Forty submissions advanced with extended abstracts, while 26 progressed to full research papers, which are still being assessed.
Organisers said selected high-quality full papers will have the opportunity to be published without fees in the international journal World Water Policy.
The programme will also include competitions for young researchers and innovators, covering three-minute theses, water innovation, conservation practices, and graduation projects.
Sixteen exhibition pavilions have so far been booked by Egyptian and international companies and institutions working in water, infrastructure, and energy. Organisers are also upgrading the event’s digital registration platform and mobile application, including systems for session attendance and cybersecurity.
