Egypt operates 125 desalination plants with daily capacity of 1.31mln cubic meters
Egypt - Sayed Ismail, Deputy Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, recently held a video conference with officials from the Embassy of Cyprus in Egypt and representatives from Cyprus's water sector to explore potential areas of cooperation.
During the meeting, Ismail provided an overview of Egypt's ongoing seawater desalination efforts, noting that the country currently operates 125 desalination plants with a combined capacity of 1.31 million cubic meters per day. He also highlighted the plants currently under construction as part of Egypt's efforts to expand its desalination capacity.
Ismail emphasized that Egypt is committed to further increasing its desalination capacity, with a goal of reaching 9 million cubic meters per day by 2050. As part of this plan, the country aims to produce 2.7 million cubic meters per day by 2030. He also mentioned the Ministry of Housing's collaborative approach, which includes working closely with the private sector through public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives for the development of new projects.
The Deputy Minister stressed Egypt's eagerness to exchange knowledge and share successful experiences with Cyprus, particularly in the areas of seawater desalination, drinking water systems, and wastewater treatment. He also highlighted the significant investments made in partnership with various development partners and investors to advance these initiatives.
In response, Cypriot officials expressed their appreciation for Egypt's progress in desalination and their interest in strengthening ties through the exchange of expertise and collaboration on future desalination projects.
Both parties reiterated their commitment to enhancing cooperation in water management and desalination in the coming years.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
4 days ago
- Zawya
UAE records remarkable housing achievements with support exceeding $13.62bln
ABU DHABI - The UAE continues to make remarkable accomplishments in the federal housing sector, enhancing its leadership in urban development and social stability, and strengthening its position among the best countries in the world in terms of quality of life. In H1 2025, the UAE Cabinet approved housing decisions for over 1,838 citizens, totalling AED1.2 billion as part of the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme, which has provided assistance amounting to AED50 billion since its establishment to date. More than 93,000 Emirati citizens have benefited from this initiative so far, reflecting the country's commitment to empowering Emirati families and providing suitable housing as one of the key pillars of societal stability. In recent years, the programme has witnessed a series of strategic developments that have enhanced the effectiveness of the housing system, accelerated the process of obtaining housing support, and increased customer satisfaction. Additionally, there has been an expansion in partnerships with the banking sector and financial institutions, in line with the country's focus on financial sustainability and innovation in service delivery. Between 2021 and 2024, the programme achieved remarkable results in terms of performance indicators. The time required to obtain a housing support decision was reduced by more than 50%. The percentage of citizens owning homes increased to 91% - a 17% increase compared to 2017, while private sector funding accounted for 76% of the total, confirming the effectiveness of the adopted financial policies. Customer satisfaction surveys also showed that happiness levels regarding housing services doubled today—an increase of 100% compared to 2021—indicating a significant improvement in the efficiency of the government service system. In this context, the UAE Cabinet has approved a new financing policy for the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme extending until 2041. The policy aims to issue 40,000 housing support decisions, divided into four phases. The first phase includes the issuance of 13,000 decisions at an estimated cost of AED11.5 billion, effectively doubling the number of annual decisions compared to previous years. This comes as part of the country's efforts to enhance resource sustainability and improve the efficiency of public spending. The new policy is based on an integrated model between the federal government and national banks, contributing to reducing the financial burden on the public treasury while providing flexible financing alternatives for citizens. Additionally, the Ministry launched several regulatory initiatives in cooperation with the Central Bank of the UAE to address challenges associated with implementing the new policy. These include the 'Flexible Loan,' which allows citizens to obtain housing finance that aligns with their financial capabilities, with the possibility of benefiting from the finance gap for up to four years. Another initiative is the 'Reuse of Housing Assistance Value,' enabling citizens to re-utilise the assistance in case their living conditions change. Moreover, the policy includes an 'Exemption of Retirement Contributions from Total Salary,' which enhances the process of assessing monthly income and expands opportunities for obtaining housing support. As part of the government's efforts to streamline procedures, the Ministry launched the 'Manzili' bundle, which was recognised in the Zero Bureaucracy Awards as the Best Team across the UAE Government in the 'Impact on People's Lives' category. The package contributed to reducing the number of entities a customer must deal with from 11 to just one, the number of procedures from 14 to three, and the required documents from 10 to just one. This was made possible through integration and coordination with 28 partner entities, resulting in saving over 9 million working hours, reducing fuel consumption by 55,000 liters, and cutting carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 586,000 kilograms—based on calculations for an estimated 5,000 users annually. The Ministry also launched the national platform 'Darak' as a unified window for offering advisory services and construction packages to citizens. This was done in collaboration with the Ministry of Possibilities, the Social Solidarity Fund for Ministry of Interior employees, and local housing programmes. In a new achievement that reflects the UAE's global standing in the housing sector, the country won the presidency of the General Assembly of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and secured membership in its Executive Board. This recognition strengthens the UAE's role in supporting international efforts in housing and sustainable urban planning. UN-Habitat is an international UN agency headquartered in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. It works towards a better urban future, with a mission to ensure adequate shelter for all by promoting the sustainable development of human settlements in social and environmental dimensions. UN-Habitat includes a membership of 193 countries from around the world. Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, said, 'Thanks to the directives of the UAE's wise leadership, the country continues to achieve significant milestones in the housing sector. The housing support decisions, during the first half of 2025, reflect the country's unwavering commitment to providing suitable housing for citizens, as it represents a fundamental pillar in the path of comprehensive development.' He added, 'These remarkable achievements are the result of a strategic vision in which government efforts are integrated with the banking sector under the new funding policy, aimed at empowering Emirati families, enhancing quality of life, and ensuring resource sustainability.' He pointed out that the Ministry, in the coming phase, aims to develop innovative housing projects that align with future needs, reinforce principles of sound financial management, and redefine traditional concepts of homeownership—contributing to improved quality of life, family stability, and the social and economic growth of the nation. For his part, Eng. Mohamed Al Mansouri, Director-General of Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme, emphasised that these achievements reflect the forward-looking vision of the wise leadership, which places people at the heart of development plans. He noted that the programme is a fundamental pillar in empowering and stabilising Emirati families. He said, 'We continue working to develop a flexible and innovative federal housing system that integrates government and private sector efforts, aligns with citizens' aspirations, and enhances the UAE's global competitiveness in quality of life and urban development indicators.'
Zawya
5 days ago
- Zawya
Saudi's ROSHN launches first phase of ALDANAH housing project
The Public Investment Fund-backed ROSHN Group has launched the first phase of ALDANAH project in Greater Dammam, which will have more than 1,000 housing units. The first phase will offer standard and premium villas, as well as duplexes, the developer said in a statement. ALDANAH will have more than 2,000 homes upon completion, More than 145,000 square metres (sqm) of the project's total footprint will be dedicated to urban green space, accompanied by naturally shaded and pedestrian-friendly living streets. The project broke ground in May 2025. (Editing by Anoop Menon) (
Arabian Business
6 days ago
- Arabian Business
UAE ranked 5th in global competitiveness ranking; Cabinet reviews $1.4tn trade success
The UAE has ranked in fifth place in a global competitiveness ranking, outperforming major economies including the US, Sweden, and Germany. The achievement was reviewed at a meeting of the UAE Cabinet, chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi. During the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed confirmed that over 1,830 UAE citizens received housing support in the first half of 2025, with grants exceeding AED1.25bn ($340.4m), to reinforce family stability and ensure decent living standards. UAE Cabinet meeting Sheikh Mohammed said: ' I chaired a Cabinet meeting at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, where we reviewed the UAE's performance in the 2025 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking. The UAE ranked fifth globally, alongside the world's leading countries in economic competitiveness, government efficiency, legislative strength, and business environment excellence. 'Fourteen years ago, we established a competitiveness centre, uniting the efforts of key national entities. These efforts have elevated the UAE's ranking from 28th globally in 2009 to being among the top five globally in competitiveness. 'In the same report, the UAE ranked first globally in the absence of bureaucracy index, second globally in government policies adaptability index, and fourth globally in government efficiency index. 'This achievement is a testament to years of consistent effort. With the vision of my brother, Mohamed bin Zayed, our future will continue to be even brighter and stronger.' The UAE led globally in 22 indicators including employment rate, availability of global expertise, digital company transformation, and female parliamentary representation. The UAE also ranked second globally in social cohesion, flexibility of residency laws, and government policy adaptability, while securing third globally in graduates in sciences, leverage of digital tools and technology, and healthcare infrastructure. UAE Cabinet trade review The Cabinet also reviewed the 2024 report of the Higher Commission for Free Trade Negotiations, confirming the signing of 27 Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs), of which eight have come into force. This has helped the UAE achieve: AED5.23tn ($1.42tn) in total foreign trade (2024) AED440bn ($119.9bn) in non-oil exports (up 16.3 per cent YoY) AED684.3bn ($186.4bn) in re-exports AED113bn ($30.8bn) in foreign direct investment in 2023 The UAE Cabinet also reviewed the Emirates Council for Balanced Development, chaired by Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes' Affairs. Highlights include completed and ongoing projects in Qidfa, Masfout, and Al Rams. These include community spaces, markets, ecotourism initiatives, and the 'Jothoor' programme empowering female Emirati artisans. The Cabinet also reviewed the success of the Digital Identity system, now used by more than 11m citizens and residents, enabling 600 million secure logins and facilitating 2.6bn digital transactions. New federal initiatives approved by the Cabinet include: National Maritime Navigation Centre to oversee vessel tracking, marine safety, and environmental protection Restructuring of the Higher Committee for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Terrorism Financing, chaired by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs A draft law to safeguard UAE cultural heritage and enhance public awareness The United Arab Emirates Council for Climate Action was also restructured to accelerate the Net Zero 2050 strategy, with the UAE expanding protected areas (18 per cent mainland, 12 per cent marine) and adding nine new biodiversity hotspots, alongside a plan to plant 100 million mangrove trees by 2030. Special attention to the fourth edition of the Make it in the Emirates platform, which in 2025 attracted more than 122,000 visitors and facilitated: AED168bn ($45.7bn) in potential procurement deals for local manufacturing AED11bn ($3bn) in new industrial project agreements AED40 billion ($10.9 billion) in SME financing over five years Furthermore, the Cabinet ratified 13 international agreements, including economic and visa deals with Montenegro, Vietnam, Uganda, and New Zealand. Approval was also granted for: 36 new MOUs and agreements, including with Hong Kong and the Eurasian Economic Union Establishing UAE embassies in Togo, Gabon, Cameroon, and Tajikistan, and a Consulate General in Miami, USA
