Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Egyptian PM discusses seawater desalination partnership with ACWA Power CEO
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly met this evening with Marco Arcelli, CEO of Saudi-based ACWA Power, at the government headquarters in the New Administrative Capital.
The meeting focused on exploring potential partnership opportunities with ACWA Power in the field of seawater desalination.
At the outset, Prime Minister Madbouly expressed appreciation for the ongoing cooperation between the Egyptian government and ACWA Power in various renewable and clean energy projects. He highlighted the company’s proven reliability as a trusted partner in existing collaborations with the government.
Madbouly emphasized ACWA Power’s global leadership in water desalination, expressing Egypt’s keen interest in partnering with the company to establish desalination plants and localize the production of components for reverse osmosis (RO) desalination systems, known as "membranes."
He noted that the Egyptian government has begun consultations with global companies specializing in manufacturing RO desalination components to support the country’s strategic plan for seawater desalination.
The Prime Minister outlined Egypt’s ambitious target to desalinate 5 million cubic meters of seawater daily within five years, with a long-term goal of reaching 10 million cubic meters per day. Achieving these targets, he stressed, requires localizing the production of desalination plant components.
During the meeting, ACWA Power CEO Marco Arcelli expressed gratitude for the strong partnership with the Egyptian government, emphasizing that Egypt is one of the company’s most important markets.
Arcelli confirmed ACWA Power’s plans to collaborate with Egypt on establishing RO desalination plants and localizing the production of desalination components, particularly in light of Egypt’s growing demand for desalinated water.
The meeting also included discussions on the financial, funding, and pricing aspects of the proposed project.
Prime Minister Madbouly directed officials to finalize the project’s framework within the coming weeks for review, emphasizing that the proposal must include a clear plan for localizing the production of desalination plant components.
He underscored that localizing this industry is a top priority and a key condition for negotiations with companies seeking to establish desalination plants in Egypt.