Engineer Sherif El-Sherbiny, Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, held a meeting yesterday evening to assess the current progress on the strategic plan for seawater desalination projects, which is set to run until 2050. The plan, developed by the Ministry of Housing, aligns with the country’s broader efforts to maximize the use of available water resources.
During the meeting, the Minister highlighted that the state has adopted a comprehensive strategy for water desalination, starting with the first phase launched in 2017, which has a total capacity of 1.3 million cubic meters per day. The second phase of the plan is divided into five-year cycles extending through 2050, and aims to serve 11 governorates, including North Sinai, South Sinai, Matrouh, the Red Sea, Kafr El Sheikh, Suez, Ismailia, Port Said, Beheira, Dakahlia, and Alexandria.
El-Sherbiny emphasized Egypt’s commitment to adopting and localizing modern desalination technologies and supporting industries. To this end, the state has focused on forming partnerships with the private sector to implement these projects, overcoming obstacles to ensure the success of such collaborations. This partnership will capitalize on the private sector’s expertise in both management and the manufacturing of operational supplies, while also advancing the localization of cutting-edge technologies. Additionally, renewable energy sources will be integrated into desalination operations to lower production costs.
The Minister also reviewed the plan prepared by the Holding Company for Water and Wastewater, and its subsidiaries, aimed at renewing and replacing drinking water networks in several governorates to reduce water loss. He stressed the importance of minimizing water waste to the greatest extent possible and expanding awareness campaigns to educate citizens about the importance of conserving drinking water.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Sayed Ismail, Deputy Minister of Housing, Dr. Mohamed Hassan, CEO of the Drinking Water and Wastewater Regulatory Authority, Engineer Mamdouh Raslan, Chairman of the Holding Company for Water and Wastewater, Major General Ehab Khadr, Chairman of the National Authority for Drinking Water and Sanitation, along with representatives from the Ministry’s Project Management Unit and the Holding Company.
