The Egyptian government has launched a development program in Sinai, establishing 16 residential and agricultural communities. These communities comprise 1,141 homes, 269 groundwater wells, and 28 pumping units. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation is overseeing the project, which aims to provide housing and employment opportunities to support development in the region.
Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam recently reviewed the operation and maintenance of wells and pumping stations. He also examined plans to tender contracts covering security, maintenance, and operation across the communities. Under the program, each beneficiary is allocated a 200-square-meter home and five feddans of agricultural land.
The development communities are distributed across North and South Sinai. North Sinai has 10 communities with 128 groundwater wells and 11 pumping stations, serving around 4,900 feddans. In contrast, South Sinai has six communities with 132 wells and 16 pumping stations intended to serve 5,250 feddans.
Authorities have provisionally taken over 112 wells and nine pumping stations across nine communities in North Sinai. They have also taken over 25 wells and four pumping stations in three communities in South Sinai. Electricity has been connected to all wells handed over so far. Work is ongoing to install meters and complete outstanding infrastructure.
The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation began operating and maintaining wells and pumping stations in North Sinai in November 2023. They have awarded two contracts covering equipment maintenance, operation, and security at facilities in the Hassana and Nakhl areas. Four additional tenders are being prepared for security, maintenance, and equipment supplies covering the 2026/27 and 2027/28 fiscal years.
Minister Sewilam has instructed officials to complete outstanding works and award operation and maintenance contracts to specialized companies. He also emphasized the importance of regular technical inspections of wells and pumping stations. Furthermore, he called for tighter management of groundwater use, given that the resource is non-renewable.
The development program is being implemented through coordination among several entities, including the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the North and South Sinai governorates, electricity companies, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Armed Forces Engineering Authority. The program aims to support development in Sinai by providing housing and employment opportunities to residents.
Key points
- The Egyptian government has established 16 development communities in Sinai, comprising 1,141 homes and 269 groundwater wells.
- The program aims to provide housing and employment opportunities to support development in the region.
- Minister Sewilam emphasized the importance of managing groundwater use and conducting regular technical inspections of wells and pumping stations.
