Sisi receives Cairo Water Week delegates, reaffirms Egypt's claim over its Nile water share

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met ministers and delegation heads at the ninth Cairo Water Week 2026 and laid out Egypt's positions on Nile cooperation.

• Sisi received ministers and heads of delegations participating in the ninth Cairo Water Week 2026 at the Ittihadiya Palace, alongside Water Minister Hani Sweilem and Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
• Sisi said Egypt demands that its share of Nile water not be touched and that water is an exclusive right for all, not to be exploited for political purposes.
• Sisi stated four Nile basin states remain outside the framework agreement and called for an inclusive framework covering all basin countries through agreed amendment or protocol.
• Sisi announced Egypt is assuming the presidency of the 17th session of the Arab Ministerial Water Council, hosted by Cairo this week.
• Sisi said Egypt's per-capita water share has dropped to about 473 cubic meters annually, with the Nile providing over 98% of renewable water resources.
• Sisi said about 2,050 billion cubic meters of rain fall annually on the Nile Basin but only 4-5% reaches Aswan.
• Sisi proposed prior notification, study exchange, and consultation as confidence-building tools among Nile basin states.