Water Challenges in Egypt and Prospects for Agricultural Integration with Sudan

By Muhannad Awad Mahmoud
At the kind invitation of Mr Samir Al Alaily, Chairman of Investia, and with the distinguished organisation of the Canada–Egypt Business Council under the leadership of His Excellency Eng. Moataz Raslan – Chairman of Raslan Group – I was honoured to participate in the conference held under the theme:
“Water Challenges in Egypt – Causes and Solutions.”
The conference was attended by several former and current ministers, most notably His Excellency Mr Sameh Shoukry, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, along with several current and former governors, members of the Senate, ambassadors from Asia and the European Union, as well as a select group of Egyptian business leaders, foreign investors, and representatives of Egyptian banks and economic institutions.
His Excellency Dr Hani Sweilem, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, addressed the conference with a valuable lecture that revealed the magnitude of the ministry’s work in tackling the water crisis. The minister presented detailed insights showing that the ministry is not confined to traditional policies; rather, it is engaging in advanced technological experimentation rarely witnessed in the region.
Today, ministry teams in their offices in Cairo are able to monitor the Nile from its sources to its mouth using satellites and remote-sensing technologies. Any encroachment on the Nile or violation is detected instantly with images and video, and dealt with immediately. This is a qualitative leap that costs the state billions of pounds; yet it affirms that Egypt is now managing its water file with a forward-looking and modern mindset.
What is striking, however, is that if even a quarter of this costly technology budget were directed towards introducing modern agricultural technologies and electrifying agricultural projects in both Egypt and Sudan, we could place the two countries among the most significant agricultural powers in the world. The natural resources are available; what is lacking is systematic investment in smart agriculture linked to stable energy sources.
As a Sudanese businessman investing in Egypt, the conference struck me as an opportunity to compare the situations of Egypt and Sudan. In Egypt, per capita water share does not exceed 550 cubic metres annually – half the global water poverty line. Meanwhile, in Sudan – thanks to vast land and multiple water sources – per capita share reaches about 1,700 cubic metres annually, almost three times that of Egypt. Furthermore, Sudan’s population is far smaller than Egypt’s, which eases pressure on water resources and widens agricultural opportunities.
This highlights the importance of Egyptian–Sudanese agricultural integration. Egypt possesses expertise in water management, strong infrastructure, and a trained workforce, while Sudan enjoys vast expanses of fertile land and enormous surface and groundwater resources. If we combine this equation, the logical outcome would be food self-sufficiency, and even exporting to the Arab world and Africa.
For those who think integration is far-fetched, let me recall that recent history provides living proof of Sudan’s readiness to make sacrifices for a strategic partnership. In the 1960s, the High Dam submerged the town of Wadi Halfa, displacing its entire population, in faith in the project’s benefit for Egypt and the region. This solidarity was not an exception but part of the deeply rooted historic ties between the peoples of the Nile Valley. Today, despite its own water crisis, Egypt has opened its doors to millions of Sudanese displaced by war – integration in its finest humanitarian and social form.
So why not translate this humanitarian and political integration into economic and agricultural integration? Agriculture consumes nearly 80% of Egypt’s water resources. If heavy agricultural activities were shifted southwards to Sudan, Egypt would be able to reduce the immense pressure on its Nile quota; while Sudan, in turn, would benefit from Egyptian technology, investments, and human expertise.
This is a rare opportunity to turn challenge into achievement: Egypt needs water; Sudan needs technology; and both need food security. We stand before a gateway to agricultural and economic integration that could change the future of the Nile Valley and make Egypt and Sudan together a true breadbasket for the Arab world and Africa.
In conclusion, the Nile, which united us in history, can also unite us in the future. If Egypt’s waters blend with the greenery of Sudan’s land, hunger will find no place in the Nile Valley, nor among the peoples of our Arab nation.

Shortlink: https://sudanhorizon.com/?p=7713