Engineer Sherif El-Sherbiny, Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, held a meeting yesterday evening to review the current status of the strategic seawater desalination projects being implemented under the state’s long-term plan, which extends until 2050. This strategic plan, developed by the Ministry of Housing, is part of Egypt’s efforts to maximize the utilization of available water resources.
Minister El-Sherbiny highlighted that Egypt has adopted the seawater desalination strategy, which commenced with the first phase in 2017, providing a total capacity of 1.3 million cubic meters per day. The second phase is divided into five-year plans, running through 2050, targeting 11 governorates, including North Sinai, South Sinai, Matrouh, the Red Sea, Kafr El Sheikh, Suez, Ismailia, Port Said, Beheira, Dakahlia, and Alexandria.
The Minister also emphasized Egypt’s commitment to transferring and localizing modern technologies for desalination plants and their supporting industries. In this context, the government is pushing for partnerships with the private sector to implement these projects, overcoming challenges to ensure the success of these collaborations. This approach leverages private sector expertise in management, the manufacturing of operational supplies, and the integration of advanced technologies, while promoting the use of renewable energy to reduce production costs.
Additionally, Minister El-Sherbiny reviewed the plan prepared by the Holding Company for Water and Wastewater, along with its subsidiaries, to renew and replace aging water networks across several governorates to reduce water loss. He stressed the importance of minimizing water waste and expanding public awareness campaigns to educate citizens on the need for water conservation.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Sayed Ismail, Deputy Minister; Dr. Mohamed Hassan, CEO of the Drinking Water and Wastewater Regulatory Authority; Engineer Mamdouh Raslan, Chairman of the Holding Company for Water and Wastewater; General Ihab Khidr, Chairman of the National Organization for Potable Water and Sanitary Drainage; and representatives from the ministry’s project management unit and the Holding Company for Water and Wastewater.
