Egypt to tender nearly $1bn in desalination projects in January 2026

The Egyptian government is currently planning to launch tenders for a new package of water-desalination projects in January 2026 with investments nearing $1bn, Economy Plus reported on December 2, citing Atef Hanoura, head of the Central PPP Unit at the Ministry of Finance. 

The programme forms part of the government’s wider strategy to expand water-security infrastructure and increase private-sector participation in essential utilities.

Egypt's desalination plans are a cornerstone of its national water security strategy, aiming to significantly increase water supply by leveraging its long Mediterranean and Red Sea coastlines to meet the growing needs of its population and economy. The long-term goal targets an increase in total desalination capacity from about 1.3$mn cubic metres per day to approximately 8.8$mn cubic metres per day by 2050, with a key focus on powering these new plants using renewable energy sources.

Hanoura said the upcoming tenders will include a desalination plant under the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone), another facility in South Alamein, and a sludge-treatment project linked to the Abu Rawash wastewater treatment plant. The projects are among Egypt’s priority infrastructure schemes aimed at meeting rising demand for potable water and improving wastewater management.

He noted that more than EGP 50bn ($1.1bn) worth of PPP projects have been launched and executed over the past two years. Tenders will be open to all investors based on transparent technical and financial qualification standards. “Whoever qualifies will be invited to submit a bid, and we will select the best offer, whether foreign, local, or a consortium,” Hanoura explained.

The government is also preparing a fresh pipeline of projects in the electricity sector in Q1 2026, including new generation plants and distribution-network upgrades.