Cairo: Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli affirmed that water security tops the state’s strategic priorities, noting that expanding desalination projects has become an inevitable necessity to keep pace with population growth and comprehensive development plans. He made the remarks on Thursday, April 2, 2026, while following up on plans and measures to expand seawater desalination projects, as well as to review efforts to localize the industry related to their components and operational requirements.
According to State Information Service Egypt, Madbouli explained that the meeting aimed to review a number of proposals submitted by major global companies specialized in desalination projects. He stressed the government’s keenness to evaluate these offers and select the best technically and financially to ensure the highest quality standards and achieve national goals for localizing modern technologies. Moving forward in this file comes in the implementation of directives by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to localize industries related to seawater desalination plants, alongside preparing integrated studies to ensure sustainable operation and the transfer of the latest global technologies to the Egyptian market. The government is ready to provide all incentives and facilitations to companies and alliances contributing to this goal.
The Prime Minister directed setting specific timelines for completing ongoing projects and removing any obstacles facing targeted investments in this vital sector. Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities Randa el-Menshawy reviewed the pillars of the strategic plan for seawater desalination (2020-2050), which is based on four main axes divided into six five-year plans aimed at securing and providing drinking water needs in light of natural population growth and national development requirements. She also outlined the current executive status of desalination plants, noting that there are currently 129 operational plants with a total capacity of 1.411 million cubic meters per day, in addition to 19 plants under construction with a total capacity of 687,000 cubic meters per day.
Menshawy reviewed procedures for launching a number of desalination plants within the strategic plan, including localizing the manufacturing of desalination membranes. She pointed out that 11 existing plants are planned to be offered under public-private partnership (PPP) contracts in the governorates of Matrouh, the Red Sea, and North and South Sinai, with a total capacity of 485,000 cubic meters per day. She added that 14 future projects are also planned under PPP with a total capacity of 2.36 million cubic meters per day.
The minister further addressed offers submitted by global companies to implement desalination plants, as well as proposals for localizing desalination membrane manufacturing in Egypt. She noted that the ministry is closely monitoring required capacities to meet growing demand and ensure a sustainable water supply. During the meeting, Menshawy also presented a report on energy consumption rationalization measures within the ministry and its affiliated entities. These included reducing electricity consumption in street lighting and advertisements on main roads and public streets, enforcing closing hours for shops, and slowing down diesel-intensive mega projects-especially road works-for two months.
She revealed that these measures resulted in a 40% reduction in energy consumption, with electricity use decreasing from 13.5 million kWh per month to 8.1 million kWh per month. This also led to a drop in total monthly costs from EGP 31.59 million to EGP 18.954 million. The minister noted that studies are currently underway to implement a remote lighting control system to further reduce energy consumption and operational costs without placing additional financial burdens on the state, with costs to be covered through savings achieved.
She also reviewed efforts to localize the manufacturing of equipment used in drinking water and wastewater treatment projects and to promote local products. Measures included coordination with national entities such as the Arab Organization for Industrialization and specialized companies in pumps, pipelines, and electromechanical equipment, in cooperation with the national initiative for developing Egyptian industry, ‘Ebda,’ alongside regular follow-up meetings. Menshawy added that coordination is ongoing with global industrial entities to establish new factories in Egypt targeting both the domestic market and exports to African and Arab countries, contributing to the transfer of advanced technologies in filtration, water treatment, ductile pipe manufacturing, and pumps.
She stressed the importance of supporting local products and applying legislation related to ‘local preference,’ ensuring that technical and financial evaluation criteria give priority to locally manufactured components. The minister also reviewed estimates of mechanical and electrical equipment needed for drinking water and wastewater projects over the next five years, including various types of pumps, in coordination with affiliated entities. She confirmed that these requirements have been shared and discussed with companies and factories interested in local manufacturing, alongside updating technical specifications to remove obstacles and encourage domestic production.