Egypt’s Water Market
As an important country playing a major role in the MENA region, EGYPT has positioned itself to occupy a fundamental role in the global economy. The trade liberalization, exports promotion and foreign direct investment [FDI] as well as international development are the corner stones for enhancing Egypt’s competitiveness.
EGYPT is the biggest country in Africa and Middle East region in terms of population, which was 77.5 million in 2006, then jumped to 102 million people in 2021. The urban populations are 62.25 million, or about 75% of the total number of the population.
Multinational entrepreneurs and corporate executives are seeking for access to this enormous market, that has a rapid urban development with great opportunities for international investments.
Water Market in Egypt is witnessing a new development especially with the new mega projects ( the new Suez Canal, new urban communities, new smart cities such as the New adminstrative Capital and new housing projects ) being executed and planned giving the opportunity for new investments in the water market and raising the demand for new technologies to be applied, what drives the Egyptian government to support trade liberalization, promoting exports and encouraging foreign direct investments to enhance the Egyptian market’s competitiveness in the MEA region, attracting multinational entrepreneurs and corporate executives to seek access to the rapid urban developing market.
The Egyptian government vision is to search for different sources for water aside of counting on Nile river inform of new underground water
explorations, huge desalination plants beside maximizing the value of each water drop by huge wastewater treatment plants, industrial
water treatment, reuse of agricultural irrigated water, along with continuing to raise awareness programs and campaigns about water saving and decreasing consumption, especially with the increase of the population reaching 100,966,940 in 2019 with 43.33% urban community and 56.67% rural population, to ensure a better life for its citizens.
The Minister of Water Resources and
Irrigation has announced that the National Water Plan in Egypt (2017-2037) includes strategic projects of an investment cost
of not less than $50 billion, he also mentioned that the Egyptian government has developed the 2050 National Water Resources
Development and Management Strategy by putting a plan that aims to improve water quality, rationalize water use, develop water resources, and create an environment
conducive to this.
The Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Administrative Reform has mentioned that the total investments allocated to drinking water and sanitation projects in the 2019/2020 fiscal year are estimated at EGP 18 billion. The investments include about EGP 4.6 billion for drinking water projects with the aim of providing full access to potable water, adding that a sum of EGP 13.4 billion will be allocated to sanitation projects. Those endeavours are among the main targets of Egypt’s Vision 2030.
