Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Dr Hani Sweilem, convened a meeting on Wednesday to review the groundwater sector’s operations and assess compliance with regulations governing groundwater use, ensuring sustainable management of this vital resource.
The minister was briefed During the meeting on the progress of the Electronic Licensing System for Groundwater Licences, designed to allow beneficiaries to submit documents and track application status electronically.
The system streamlines licensing procedures, facilitates monitoring, and identifies delays in processing applications, the ministry said in a statement.
In this respect, Dr Sweilem reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to simplifying and expediting the issuance of well licenses for individuals and companies through this electronic platform.
He instructed the concerned officials to continue to feed the system with relevant data and urged beneficiaries to submit documents for both new licenses and renewals via the system, accessible at [https://apps.mwri.gov.eg/licnew/](https://apps.mwri.gov.eg/licnew/).
The licensing process is clear and user-friendly, comprising document review, field inspection, aquifer assessment, and approval by the Higher Licensing Committee. Licences are issued within one month.
The meeting also addressed the inventory of unlicensed wells, with Dr Sweilem directing legal action against violations, and noted that LE477 million have been collected in groundwater license fees during 2025–2026.
Minister Sweilem highlighted amendments to the Water Resources and Irrigation Law, which increase penalties for unauthorised well drilling to protect non-renewable deep groundwater aquifers from over-extraction and salinity increases.
