Egypt’s Cabinet has approved a draft presidential decree covering two grants from the African Development Bank (AFDB) to support the developme...

Egypt’s Cabinet has approved a draft presidential decree covering two grants from the African Development Bank (AFDB) to support the development of five renewable energy-powered desalination plants.

The facilities, planned across four governorates, are expected to increase water availability by 525,000 cubic metres per day. They will be developed through public-private partnerships.

The project is part of the water pillar of Egypt’s Nexus of Water, Food and Energy programme, known as NWFE, and aims to expand access to desalinated water while strengthening the country’s water security.

The African Water Facility will provide the first grant, valued at €500,000, to fund the technical studies required for the five plants.

A second grant of 280,000 Units of Account will be provided by the Middle Income Countries Technical Assistance Fund.

The funding will support environmental and social impact assessments and capacity-building programmes for workers in Egypt’s water sector.

Together, the grants will help prepare the project for implementation and support the availability of desalinated water for multiple uses.