Egypt Steps Up Efforts to Fulfill its Water Needs

Removing the violations on the Nile River (Egyptian government)
Removing the violations on the Nile River (Egyptian government)
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Egypt Steps Up Efforts to Fulfill its Water Needs

Removing the violations on the Nile River (Egyptian government)
Removing the violations on the Nile River (Egyptian government)

Egypt is stepping up efforts to fulfill the country’s water needs through the development of canals and the rehabilitation of agricultural lands.

The Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Mohamed Abdel Aty, stated that the rehabilitation of 4,898 km canals has been completed in various Egyptian governorates. The rehabilitation of 4,091 km of canals is still in progress, according to the Minister.

Abdel Aty affirmed that the government has set the Strategic National Water Plan 2037 to manage and meet water demand, with investments of not less than $50 million.

Investments are expected to reach $100 billion to improve water quality, develop new water resources, and rationalize the use of available resources.

On Saturday, the minister reviewed with a number of officials from the ministry the national project for the rehabilitation of canals.

Abdel Aty revealed that maintaining the canals faced several challenges in the past years, including some turning into rubbish dumps where residents from nearby villages throw unwanted things.

This compelled the ministry to take some decisive steps to improve the situation. It implemented the national project for canals rehabilitation, which aims to rehabilitate 20,000 km of canals with a total cost of 80 billion Egyptian pounds by mid-2024.

According to a cabinet statement, more than 55,000 violations on the Nile River were removed in coordination with the Egyptian state bodies.

Egypt’s overall annual share of water amounts to 60 billion cubic meters, while the country needs 114 billion cubic meters per year. Thus, the annual water deficit stands at 54 billion cubic meters.



Egypt, Greece Agree to Boost Ties, Back Gaza Reconstruction Plan 

Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (R) and the Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi shake hands after signing a memorandum of cooperation in Athens on May 7, 2025. (AFP) 
Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (R) and the Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi shake hands after signing a memorandum of cooperation in Athens on May 7, 2025. (AFP) 
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Egypt, Greece Agree to Boost Ties, Back Gaza Reconstruction Plan 

Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (R) and the Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi shake hands after signing a memorandum of cooperation in Athens on May 7, 2025. (AFP) 
Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (R) and the Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi shake hands after signing a memorandum of cooperation in Athens on May 7, 2025. (AFP) 

Greece and Egypt signed a "strategic partnership" deal on Wednesday as they seek to step up political coordination to help safeguard stability in the Eastern Mediterranean amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

"Our bilateral cooperation is based on political, economic, and cultural ties, which are deeply rooted in history and defined by our strong commitment to the values of peace and the full respect of international law," Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a joint statement.

The two officials met during the first meeting of the Supreme Cooperation Council, a body they agreed to set up more than a year ago to improve ties.

The two leaders reaffirmed their joint stance over the need to respect international law to promote peace in Gaza.

"The first priority is for hostilities to stop and restore the flow of humanitarian aid to civilians," Mitsotakis said in joint statements with Sisi. He said Greece supported an Arab-backed plan for the reconstruction of Gaza once a ceasefire was achieved.

Migration also topped the agenda of bilateral talks as European governments have long been worried about the risk of instability in Egypt, a country of 106 million people where economic adversity has pushed increasing numbers to migrate.

Egypt largely shut off irregular migration from its north coast in 2016, but the Greek islands of Crete and Gavdos have seen a steep rise in migrant arrivals, mostly from Afghanistan and Egypt.

The European Union last year announced a 7.4 billion euro ($8.40 billion) funding package and an upgraded relationship with Egypt, in part of a push to stem migrant flows from Egypt to Europe. Last month, the EU's executive arm included Egypt on a list of "safe countries" where failed asylum seekers could be returned.