Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi rejected any unilateral control over Nile waters during the opening of the ninth Cairo Water Week on October 25, 2026, warning that betting on Egypt’s surrender of its water security is a losing wager.
Opening the ninth edition of Cairo Water Week on October 25, 2026, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi drew a sharp line on regional water management, warning that any bet on Egypt accepting a fait accompli or compromising its water security is a losing wager. The annual event, running from October 25 to 29 under the theme Water as a Catalyst for Shared Peace, Prosperity and a Sustainable Planet
, brought together international delegations, ministers, and institutional representatives in Cairo. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly attended the opening sessions on behalf of the president, alongside 21 ministers, 23 high-level delegations, international envoys, and the president of the World Water Council.
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told CNN Arabic that any bet on Egypt accepting a fait accompli or compromising its water security is a losing wager.
السيسي خلال كلمته في افتتاح النسخة التاسعة من أسبوع القاهرة للمياه: «أي رهان على قبول مصر بفرض الأمر الواقع أو التفريط في أمنها المائي هو رهان خاسر، وستظل يد مصر ممدودة لأشقائها» pic.twitter.com/OMWkSRSbkJ
The gathering unfolds against a backdrop of long-running regional tensions. Ethiopia’s recent statements regarding plans to build additional dams and maintain control over downstream river flows have reignited disputes over the Nile, which remains at the center of complex diplomatic friction between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia without a comprehensive political settlement under the 2015 Declaration of Principles.
Egypt Relies on Nile for Most Water Resources
For Egypt, the Nile is an existential lifeline. Al-Sisi noted that the river provides the country with more than 98 percent of its renewable water resources against a backdrop of rising populations, growing food and water needs, and intensifying climate change pressures.
أبرز ما جاء في كلمة فخامة الرئيس السيسي خلال فعاليات أسبوع القاهرة للمياه #eXtranews pic.twitter.com/gVlbltCCYv
Elaborating on the scale of the challenge during the opening sessions, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sweilam explained that Egypt faces challenges covering its water needs, forcing the nation to import virtual water through food from abroad. Per capita annual share has dropped over time.
Egypt Promotes Joint Investment in Nile Basin Development
While acknowledging that every Nile basin nation holds the right to development, al-Sisi maintained that the physical presence of river sources within a single country does not grant unilateral control over a shared resource.
To demonstrate practical cooperation, Egyptian officials pointed to joint investments in the Southern Nile basin, including the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam and Station in Tanzania, constructed by an alliance of Egyptian firms to support local development. Al-Sisi further called for moving from crisis management to building solutions and from commitments to implementation.
And I say to our brothers in the Nile Basin countries: What we can achieve together is much greater than what any single country can achieve alone amid division and discord. Egypt wants to be a partner in your development and success and for us to exchange expertise and experiences together. Egypt also looks forward to cooperation that safeguards its water security and the rights of its people—goals that do not conflict, but rather complement and reinforce one another through cooperation. Abdel
Cairo Integrates Technology into Water Management Framework
Domestically, Cairo is accelerating its second-generation water management framework, which integrates technology and artificial intelligence in monitoring.
#عاجل | كلمة رئيس مجلس الوزراء خلال افتتاح أسبوع القاهرة التاسع للمياه الذي يعقد تحت رعاية فخامة الرئيس #السيسي#eXtranews
The discussions in Cairo also served as a crucial preparatory milestone ahead of the UN Water Conference 2026, scheduled for December in Abu Dhabi under the co-organization of the United Arab Emirates and Senegal and United Nations water envoys. In parallel, Egypt and Japan are cooperating on the co-chairing of the interactive dialogue Water for the Planet
at the upcoming UN conference.