The Presidency
“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”
Your Excellencies,
Honorable Ministers and Heads of Delegations,
Representatives of International and Regional Organizations and Institutions,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Since the dawn of history, one of humanity’s greatest civilizations flourished upon the banks of the River Nile in Egypt. The Nile was the foundation of stability, and the engine of development and prosperity.
To Egypt, it has never been simply a river; rather, it was and remains its lifeline, and a bridge for communication and cooperation among peoples.
From Egypt, the land of the Nile and civilization, I welcome you to the 9th edition of Cairo Water Week, which has become an international platform for dialogue, exchange of expertise, and building partnerships.
We meet this year under the theme: ” Water as a Catalyst for: Peace, Shared Prosperity, and a Sustainable Planet.”, embodying our firm belief in the role of water in achieving development and fostering stability and cooperation among nations and peoples.
Honorable attendees,
Egypt faces a unique water challenge due to its geographic nature and its primary reliance on the Nile River, which is shared among the basin states and provides Egypt with more than 98% of its renewable water resources.
Amid a growing population, increasing water and food needs, and the mounting impacts of climate change, Egypt continues its efforts to enhance water-use efficiency, develop its water resources, and maximize their utilization—in tandem with supporting cooperation among the basin nations to achieve water security and sustainable development for all our peoples.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Egyptian foreign policy agenda accords top priority to water issues, as water is a driver of cooperation and shared prosperity, rather than a political tool to inflame conflict and disputes.
Egypt is fully aware that it is not the only country that faces such challenges; nations across the globe are similarly exposed to the threats of water scarcity, heightened risks of droughts and floods, and growing pressure on resources against an escalating demand for water, food, and energy.
Therefore, water security has become a shared responsibility that demands genuine international cooperation, resource mobilization for financing, technology transfer, and capacity building.
Driven by this conviction, Egypt attaches paramount importance to fostering water cooperation based on respect for the relevant rules of international law, both across Africa and the Arab world, and remains committed to exchanging expertise and developing projects and partnerships that serve our peoples.
Distinguished attendees,
Egypt respects and supports the right of all Nile Basin states to development. We have translated this stance into concrete action by cooperating with our brothers on proposed projects within investment programs across the southern Nile Basin countries in the fields of energy, agriculture, and irrigation.
This experience has proven that prior notification, the exchange of studies, and consultation are practical tools that facilitate the mobilization of project financing, build trust, and safeguard the interests of all—rather than serving as a means to disrupt development or impose guardianship over any nation. It is an experience that affirms that true cooperation is possible whenever the political will exists.
This is the approach we look forward to reinforcing in the Eastern Nile Basin as well, in a manner that serves the interests of Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia.
Every nation has the right to development and to benefit from its natural resources, provided this right is exercised responsibly, without harming other states or compromising their water security. The presence of a river’s headwaters within the territory of a single state does not grant it the right of unilateral control over a resource shared by multiple peoples.
Egypt has consciously chosen the path of cooperation and dialogue, grounded in confidence in the justice of its cause and the legality of its stance. Egypt remains fully convinced that protecting the interests of its people is a responsibility that it will never relinquish.
I clearly state: “Any wager that Egypt will accept a fait accompli or compromise its water security is a losing wager.”
From this standpoint, Egypt’s hand remains extended to its brothers for cooperation based on the rules of international law, consultation, coordination, good neighborliness, and do-no-harm. We are one family united by the Nile, and our shared interests far outweigh our differences. Our basin possesses vast resources and potential that, through sound management and development, can fulfill the needs and aspirations of all our peoples.
Let us work together to turn this potential into partnerships that maximize shared benefits, safeguard the rights of all our nations, and ensure that the Nile remains a source of development, prosperity, and stability for all peoples of the Basin.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Since the dawn of history, the Nile has been a creator of civilization and a bridge between peoples. We wish for it to remain a river that unites rather than divides us, a resource whose bounty extends to all its peoples, and where the rights of all are safeguarded, rather than an arena for imposing wills.
From Cairo, we renew our call to make water a catalyst for peace and shared prosperity, and to move forward together from managing crises to crafting solutions, and from commitments to implementation.
I declare the opening of the 9th Edition of Cairo Water Week and wish your deliberations every success. I hope our joint efforts yield tangible results that foster peace and secure a safer, more just, and prosperous future for our peoples.
Thank you for your kind attention.
May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.
