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Egypt Plans Desert City Supplied with Diverted Nile Water

A general view of a farmland with houses on small island next to crowded residential buildings and bridges on the bank of River Nile, as continuous population growth and urban sprawl erode the banks of the River Nile, in Cairo, Egypt, May 22, 2025. (Reuters)
A general view of a farmland with houses on small island next to crowded residential buildings and bridges on the bank of River Nile, as continuous population growth and urban sprawl erode the banks of the River Nile, in Cairo, Egypt, May 22, 2025. (Reuters)
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Egypt Plans Desert City Supplied with Diverted Nile Water

A general view of a farmland with houses on small island next to crowded residential buildings and bridges on the bank of River Nile, as continuous population growth and urban sprawl erode the banks of the River Nile, in Cairo, Egypt, May 22, 2025. (Reuters)
A general view of a farmland with houses on small island next to crowded residential buildings and bridges on the bank of River Nile, as continuous population growth and urban sprawl erode the banks of the River Nile, in Cairo, Egypt, May 22, 2025. (Reuters)

Egypt unveiled plans on Sunday to build a desert city that will see about 7% of Egypt's annual Nile River quota rerouted from fertile delta land to pass by upscale glass-fronted housing units and eventually a large agricultural project.

Egypt, facing mounting water shortages, power constraints, and a deepening economic crisis, wants the development to help increase the value of state assets and boost land prices through "non-traditional, innovative ideas," Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said in a statement announcing the project.

About 10 million cubic metres of Nile water will flow daily to the 6.8 million sq metre (2.63 sq mile) Jirian city, 42 km (26 miles) west of downtown Cairo, helping irrigate a 2.28 million acre New Delta agricultural project, developers said.

Three private developers signed the official agreement, with the state represented by Mostakbal Misr for Sustainable Development, a military-affiliated agency. The project will include residential units, commercial zones, a yacht marina and a free economic zone.

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Türkiye Says It Will Intervene Against Any Attempt to Divide Syria

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a press conference following a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, May 27, 2025. (Reuters)
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a press conference following a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, May 27, 2025. (Reuters)
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Türkiye Says It Will Intervene Against Any Attempt to Divide Syria

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a press conference following a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, May 27, 2025. (Reuters)
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a press conference following a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, May 27, 2025. (Reuters)

Türkiye will directly intervene to stop any attempt to fragment Syria and will prevent any attempts by militants to obtain autonomy after clashes in southern Syria, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Tuesday.

His warning against fragmentation, in comments to reporters in Ankara, appeared aimed at Israel as Türkiye considers this to be Israel's ultimate aim in Syria.

Türkiye has condemned Israeli strikes on Damascus last week as an attempt to sabotage Syria's efforts to establish peace and security, and sees clashes between Druze fighters and Syrian Bedouin tribes in the southern province of Sweida as part of an Israeli policy of regional destabilization.

NATO member Türkiye supports Syria's new government and has called for a ceasefire between the Bedouin and Druze fighters.

Fidan said Israel wanted a divided Syria to make the country unstable, weaker and a liability to the region, and added that Kurdish YPG militants were looking to take advantage of the chaos.

"God willing, we will prevent this policy from being realized," he said.

In an apparent reference to the YPG, he said groups in Syria should not see such chaos as a tactical opportunity to achieve autonomy or independence within Syria and that they faced "a big strategic catastrophe".

"This leads nowhere," he said.

Ankara sees the YPG, which spearheads the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, as a terrorist organization, and has carried out several cross-border operations against them.

"We are warning you: no group should engage in acts towards division," Fidan said.

He said many issues could be discussed via diplomacy "but if you go beyond this and seek fragmentation and destabilizing we will consider this a direct threat to our security and intervene."

Fidan said Türkiye would support efforts to secure peace and stability in Syria, and talks on this, but would not let itself be exposed to threats.

Israel did not immediately comment on Fidan's remarks. It said it struck targets in Syria last week to defend the Druze.