Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hany Sewilam, Netherlands Ambassador to Egypt Peter Mollema and Deputy Foreign Minister Samar el Ahdal on Thursday signed a grant agreement to finance a feasibility study on protecting Egypt’s beaches using nature-based materials in the Nile Delta.
The agreement, funded by the Dutch organisation Invest International, was signed in the presence of representatives from the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and the Dutch side.
Sewilam expressed appreciation to the Foreign Ministry and the Dutch ambassador for signing the €1.575 million grant agreement.
The funding will support a pre-feasibility study for five priority coastal sites, as well as a detailed feasibility study for the areas in the Nile Delta most in need of shoreline protection measures.
The minister said the feasibility study will enable the ministry to undertake proactive planning and develop a clear and comprehensive future vision for all coastal areas requiring protection works.
The study will build on the outcomes of the “Search for sand sources in the Mediterranean Sea” research, which was presented during the eight Cairo Water Week in October 2025, Sewilam added.
He emphasized that identifying sustainable sand sources for beach nourishment represents a crucial step toward developing effective and environmentally friendly coastal protection measures.
The minister added that the signing of the agreement crowns more than 50 years of distinguished cooperation between Egypt and the Netherlands in the water sector.
