Egypt's Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hani Sweilem, held a meeting with Fawzia bint Abdullah Zainal, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to Cairo, on Sunday. The discussion focused on enhancing future cooperation between the two nations in the domain of water resources.
During the meeting, Minister Sweilem emphasized Egypt's commitment to bolstering collaboration with Bahrain and other Arab countries through the exchange of knowledge and by learning from successful water management experiences.
Ambassador Zainal conveyed Bahrain's interest in partnering with Egypt, particularly in the area of agricultural drainage water treatment. She noted, “We are eager to learn from the Egyptian experience in this field, especially in light of Bahrain’s current study of a proposal to establish a water treatment plant.”
In response, Minister Sweilem expressed his appreciation for Bahrain’s interest in cooperation and extended an invitation to Ibrahim Al-Hawaj, Bahrain’s Minister of Public Works, along with Bahraini specialists, to visit the New Delta and Bahr Al-Baqar water treatment plants in Egypt. He also underscored the significance of collaboration between the two countries in the area of desalination, particularly for intensive food production.
“Cooperation in desalination is one of the tools for dealing with water and food challenges in the Arab world,” Sweilem stated.
Additionally, the minister highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation in training and capacity building for water sector professionals. He suggested that Bahrain take advantage of the resources available at the Regional Training Center for Water Resources and Irrigation. Minister Sweilem also called for increased research collaboration, utilizing the capabilities of Egypt's National Water Research Center and other research institutions in both countries.
Minister Sweilem urged Bahrain to support the AWARe initiative, which seeks to assist developing countries, particularly in Africa, in implementing projects aimed at climate change adaptation.
