Egypt signs two agricultural projects to strengthen Arab food security

Egypt's Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Alaa Farouk, signed two joint development projects with the Desert Research Center and the Arab Center for Drylands and Arid Areas (AXAAD). The agreements aim to support Arab food security, sustain natural resources and enhance climate‑change resilience.

The first project focuses on integrated management of the coastal aquifer in Egypt's north‑west coast to supply fresh water for sustainable agriculture and prevent seawater intrusion. The second project seeks to expand mangrove cultivation along the Red Sea coast, promoting a blue‑economy sector, protecting shorelines and preserving biodiversity.

The signing ceremony also included a meeting between the minister and AXAAD director Nasr al‑Din Al‑Obaid to discuss the centre's role in preparing for the UN desertification conference COP18. Participants included Dr Hossam Shawky, head of the Desert Research Center, and several senior officials from both organisations, who highlighted the strategic nature of the cooperation and its potential as a model for other Arab nations.