As part of Cairo Water Week 2026, a high-level panel discussion was held to introduce the Regional Alliance for Circular Reuse and outline its strategic roadmap, bringing together leading experts, policymakers, and representatives of water utilities from across the Arab region and North Africa.
The session was opened by Dr. Al-Moayad Al-Sayed, who presented the Alliance’s objectives as a regional initiative and strategic partnership between IHE Delft Institute for Water Education and the Arab Countries Water Utilities Association (ACWUA), with Dutch support.
Building on the outcomes of the SafeAgroMENA project, the Alliance aims to transform wastewater, agricultural drainage water, sludge, and other waste streams into valuable resources within a sustainable circular economy.
During the session, Prof. Dr. Ayman El-Saadi, Vice President of the National Water Research Center (NWRC) for Research Planning Affairs, emphasized the vital role of regional and scientific partnerships in supporting decision-makers with practical, innovative, and sustainable technological solutions to address growing water scarcity challenges.
The session featured three key strategic presentations:
– Dr. Hadeel Hosny (IHE Delft) outlined the Alliance’s overall vision and highlighted the potential of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) to advance sustainable circular water reuse.
– Dr. Olfa Mahjoub announced the launch of the Network for Emerging Contaminants in the Arab Region (NECTAR), aimed at strengthening monitoring capabilities and ensuring safe water reuse.
– Dr. Maha Al-Halasheh (ACWUA) presented strategies for converting sludge and livestock waste into valuable fertilizers and energy resources.
During the main panel discussion, Eng. Khaldoun Khashman, President of ACWUA, stressed that the Alliance’s core mission is to localize and adapt existing technologies and solutions while promoting regulatory harmonization among member countries, rather than developing solutions from scratch.
The session concluded with an interactive open discussion addressing regulatory frameworks, financing mechanisms, and opportunities for regional collaboration.
A formal open invitation was extended to research institutions, universities, water utilities, and other relevant organizations to join the Alliance and contribute to its specialized technical working groups.
Through scientific cooperation, technological innovation, and regional partnerships, the Regional Alliance for Circular Reuse represents an important step toward advancing circular water management, resource recovery, and long-term water security across the region.