Egypt has been elected chair of the executive bureau of the Arab Ministerial Water Council for its current term, with Sudan selected as deputy chair, as Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam participated in a series of meetings and events during the ninth Cairo Water Week.
The executive bureau comprises Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Bahrain, Djibouti and Algeria. It is responsible for following up on council decisions and coordinating Arab positions on water issues at regional and international forums.
Sewilam also inaugurated the seventh Arab Water Conference, hosted by Egypt on 26-27 October under the theme “Water in the Arab Region: Partnerships for Peace and Sustainable Development”. The event brought together Arab water ministers and representatives of regional and international organisations.
He called for Arab cooperation on desalination, rainwater harvesting, water-demand management, treatment and reuse to be translated into joint projects ready for financing and implementation.
Sewilam said technology transfer, local capacity building and innovative investment mechanisms were essential to improving water-use efficiency and expanding reliance on non-conventional water resources.
He also stressed the need for cooperation over shared water resources in accordance with international law and the principle of avoiding harm, alongside stronger water diplomacy, data exchange and early-warning systems.
The conference also aims to coordinate Arab priorities ahead of the UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi in December 2026 and the 11th World Water Forum in Riyadh in 2027.
In a separate event, Sewilam attended the opening session of the first MED-RISE conference, a platform aimed at mobilising private investment in water, energy, food and ecosystem projects across the Mediterranean region.
He said developing countries spend around $165bn annually on water, with more than 90% of this funding coming from public budgets, while private finance accounts for less than 2%.
Sewilam called for a greater role for private capital and blended finance, noting that the ministry was working with the Finance Ministry’s public-private partnership unit to develop guidelines for private-sector participation in water projects.
He also highlighted the threat posed by rising sea levels, which can cause saltwater intrusion into groundwater and soil in coastal areas. He called for an integrated network of monitoring wells along Egypt’s Mediterranean coast to track and assess these risks.
On the sidelines of Cairo Water Week, Sewilam met Uzbek Water Resources Minister Shavkat Khamraev and witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Egypt’s National Water Research Center and its Uzbek counterpart to promote joint scientific research.
The two sides discussed cooperation in irrigation and drainage modernisation, water reuse, digital transformation, smart irrigation and groundwater management. They also explored the use of artificial intelligence, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, remote monitoring and control technologies, and early-warning applications.
They agreed to activate joint working groups, exchange results from pilot applications, organise technical visits and explore opportunities for joint demonstration projects.
Sewilam also met South Sudan’s acting water resources and irrigation minister, Sultan Lam Tungwar Kueing Wong, to discuss cooperation in flood protection and forecasting, early-warning systems, rainwater harvesting, groundwater wells, solar-powered water stations and waterway clearance.
Sewilam reaffirmed Egypt’s support for the Nile Basin Initiative as a platform for bringing together basin states and called for continued dialogue and consultation to narrow differences and support joint development.
He said Egypt would continue coordinating with South Sudan and exchanging data, technical studies and expertise to support development and water security across the Nile Basin.