As part of the directives of Eng. Randa El-Menshawy, Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, to improve the operational efficiency of drinking water facilities and strengthen private sector participation in operations and maintenance, Eng. Ahmed Omran, Deputy Minister of Housing for Utilities, and Eng. Mostafa El-Sheimy, Chairman of the Holding Company for Drinking Water and Wastewater, witnessed the signing of operation and maintenance contracts for 11 seawater desalination plants.
The plants have a combined design capacity of 485,000 cubic meters per day under partnerships with the private sector. The signing ceremony was attended by Dr. Salah Bayoumi, Major General Eng. Assem Shokry, Dr. Abou El-Abbas Eissa, the vice chairmen of the holding company for drinking water and wastewater, several leaders of the drinking water and wastewater sector, and representatives of specialized private sector companies and consortia.
In this context, Eng. Randa El-Menshawy explained that the state has established an integrated strategic plan to expand seawater desalination through 2050. The plan aims to diversify drinking water sources and support urban, industrial, and tourism development, particularly in coastal governorates and border regions.
She noted that Egypt currently has approximately 129 desalination plants, with a total capacity of 1.4 million cubic meters per day. Another 19 plants are under construction, with a combined capacity of 687,000 cubic meters per day. The strategic plan targets production capacity of nearly 10 million cubic meters per day by 2050.
She emphasized that these contracts aim to develop the management and operation of drinking water facilities, strengthen private sector participation, and benefit from its technical and technological expertise. These efforts will help improve operational and maintenance efficiency while protecting the investments made by the state in the seawater desalination sector.
Eng. Ahmed Omran, Deputy Minister of Housing for Utilities, noted that expanding the construction of desalination plants must be accompanied by continuous improvements to operation and maintenance systems. He stressed that the new contracts aim to increase technical readiness, reduce breakdowns and downtime, improve energy efficiency, ensure the quality of produced water, and maintain stable drinking water supplies in the areas served.
He stressed that partnerships with the private sector are based on measurable performance indicators, knowledge transfer, and the development of technical staff capabilities. He also emphasized that the success of these partnerships will be measured by their impact on plant efficiency and the sustainability of services provided to citizens.
For his part, Eng. Mostafa El-Sheimy confirmed that signing the contracts represents an important step toward developing the management of assets owned by the holding company. He explained that the contracts cover 11 plants affiliated with three drinking water and wastewater companies, with a combined design capacity of 485,000 cubic meters per day. This reflects the scale of production capacity that the company aims to maintain efficiently and operate sustainably.
He explained that the holding company seeks to use these contracts to shift from maintenance performed in response to breakdowns to a system based on preventive maintenance and advance planning. The approach also aims to improve equipment efficiency, reduce energy and operational material consumption, extend the service life of the plants, and maximize the utilization of their design capacity.
He added that private sector participation does not mean reducing the role of the affiliated companies. Instead, it strengthens their ability to manage assets, supervise operations, conduct technical oversight, and monitor compliance with contractual obligations. He confirmed that the holding company will periodically evaluate the results of the contracts using indicators covering operational efficiency, water quality, technical readiness, and operating costs.
In the same context, Major General Eng. Assem Shokry explained that the contracts have a total value of approximately EGP 4.6 billion, with an average annual cost of around EGP 1.2 billion. They cover the operation and maintenance of 11 seawater desalination plants affiliated with three companies.
Seven plants are located in North and South Sinai, with a combined design capacity of 240,000 cubic meters per day. Three plants are located in Matrouh, with a total capacity of 165,000 cubic meters per day, while one plant is located in the Red Sea Governorate, with a capacity of 80,000 cubic meters per day.
He noted that the plants in North and South Sinai include the Kilometer 17 plant west of Arish, with a capacity of 100,000 cubic meters per day; the Ras Sedr, Abu Zenima, and New Nuweiba plants, with a combined capacity of 65,000 cubic meters per day; the El-Tor and New Dahab plants, with a combined capacity of 45,000 cubic meters per day; and the Sharm El-Sheikh plant, with a capacity of 30,000 cubic meters per day.
He added that the contracts also cover the El-Yosr plant in the Red Sea Governorate, with a capacity of 80,000 cubic meters per day. They also include the Rumaila 4 plant, with a capacity of 65,000 cubic meters per day; the Dabaa plant, with a capacity of 40,000 cubic meters per day; and the Rumaila complex, comprising plants 1, 2, and 3, with a combined capacity of 60,000 cubic meters per day in Matrouh Governorate.
Major General Eng. Assem Shokry emphasized that the Holding Company will monitor contract implementation in coordination with its affiliated companies through a technical oversight and evaluation system. This system will measure operational efficiency, readiness levels, produced water quality, energy efficiency, and compliance with preventive maintenance schedules. These measures aim to protect assets and ensure the sustainable operation of the plants.
The contracts were signed on behalf of the Holding Company’s affiliated companies by Major General Eng. Khaled El-Omary Ibrahim, Chairman of the North and South Sinai Drinking Water and Wastewater Company; Major General Eng. Bahaa Sayed El-Ahl, Chairman of the Red Sea Drinking Water and Wastewater Company; and Brigadier Eng. Mohamed Afifi, Chairman of the Matrouh Drinking Water and Wastewater Company. The contracts were signed with representatives of the contracted companies.
The agreements involve several specialized private sector companies and consortia: Egypt Maintenance Company (San Masr), Specialized Engineering Services Company (Proserve), Orascom Construction, the Metito-Orascom consortium, Contrac Services Management Company, and Elsewedy Utilities. These entities will carry out operation and maintenance activities in accordance with the scope of work and obligations specified in each contract.