Our Previous Ministers
Prof. Abdel Hady Rady
14 October 1994 – 26 November 1996
Dr. Mohamed Abdel Hady Rady is a notable Egyptian engineer and former government official who served as the Minister of Public Works and Water Resources in Egypt during the early to mid-1990s. In this capacity, he played a pivotal role in several international water management initiatives, particularly in collaboration with the Netherlands.
Key Roles and Contributions
Former Minister of Public Works & Water Resources
International Water Management Projects
During his ministerial tenure, Dr. Rady was involved in several key projects:
- Fayoum Water Management Project: This initiative aimed to improve agricultural water use in the Fayoum region. The project was formalized through an administrative arrangement signed on December 8, 1993, between Dr. Rady and Dr. Nikolaos van Dam, representing the Netherlands.
- Environmental Management of Groundwater Resources: This project focused on sustainable groundwater development and environmental management. An agreement was signed on February 27, 1994, to initiate this collaboration.
- Strengthening Planning Sector of the Ministry: Aimed at enhancing the planning capabilities within the Ministry of Public Works and Water Resources, this project was also part of the bilateral cooperation with the Netherlands.
Legacy
Dr. Rady’s contributions to Egypt’s water resource management have had a lasting impact, particularly in the areas of agricultural water use efficiency and sustainable groundwater management. His leadership in fostering international partnerships has been instrumental in advancing Egypt’s water infrastructure and planning capabilities.
Prof. Mahmoud Abu-Zeid
8 July 1997 – 11 March 2009
- He was born on 29 July 1935.
- Former Minister of Water Resources & Irrigation of Egypt (12 years 1997-2009).
- President of the National Water Research Center (NWRC) which controls eleven research institutes involved in different fields of irrigation water and its management, November 1979 – July 1997.
- Current President of Arab Water Council (Since 2004).
- Honorary President of World Water Council and format president of the Council.
- Member of UN Advisory Board on Water Supply and Sanitation (UNSGAB).
- Co-Chair of the UN High-Level Taskforce (HLT) for the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS), January 2010.
- Former President of International Water Resources Association (IWRA).
- Former Vice President of International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), 1986-1989.
- Honorary Doctorate from IHE Delft.
- Sc Civil Engineering 1957,M.Sc Irrigation Engineering 1960, Ph.D Groundwater Hydrology 1962.
- Holder of several awards and prizes, i.e. in 1986 he was awarded a First Class Medal of Honor by the H.E. President of the Republic of Egypt for his valuable contribution to maximizing the benefits from the precious drop of water.
- Author of more than 200 paper through his scientific research and 11 text books.
- He led the move towards on-farm Water Management and Integrated Water Resources Management in Egypt.
Dr. Hussein El-Atfy
1 February 2011 – 20 July 2011
Secretary – General of the Arab Water Council and Former Minster of Water Resources and Irrigation
Former Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Egypt.
Honorary Vice-President of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID).
Honorary President of the Egyptian National Committee for
Irrigation and Drainage (ENCID) Steering Committee & Former Secretary-General of ENCID.
On the National Scale, Prof. Hussein El-Atfy, throughout his 40-year professional experience in the field of water resources management, he was instrumental in implementing short- and long-term water strategies, national plans and mega projects, towards improvement of water resources management and achievement of sustainable development in Egypt.
On the Arab, Regional and International Scales, Prof. Hussein El-Atfy is presently Secretary-General of the Arab Water Council, and has numerous contributions in the water sector on the national, regional and international scales. In collaboration with the League of Arab States as strategic partner and other partner organizations, he assisted in formulating and implementing the 2010-2030 Strategy and work plan for Arab Water Security.
Prof. El-Atfy is lecturer and consultant for different research institutes, universities and international organizations, author of several papers and books, and also scientific editor of several local and international journals on water. Throughout his professional career, Prof. El-Atfy was awarded a number of Recognition Awards and prizes from national and international organizations for his distinguished contributions in the water sector.
Prof. Hesham Kandil
21 July 2011 – June 2012
Former Prime Minister of Egypt, Aug 2012 – Jul 2013
Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Jul 2011 – Aug 2012
Sector Director and Head of the Permanent Egyptian Sudanese Joint Committee on Nile Water, Sep 2005 to Jun 2011
Minister’s Office Director, Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Egypt, Dec 1999 – Aug 2005
Canadian Team Leader-Technical Assistant, Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA)Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA), Oct 1998 to Nov 1999
Researcher-Sector Head Researcher-Sector Head, National Water Research Center National Water Research Center, May 1985 – Oct 1998
Accomplishments and Projects
2013: Established the Council for Justice and Equality in Egypt
2011-2012: Head of the Egyptian-Sudanese Joint Permanent Committee on Nile Water
2011-2012: Committee Chair, African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW)
Prof. Mohamed Bahaa Eldin
1 August 2012 – 17 July 2013
He is an Egyptian civil engineer and politician who served as minister of water and irrigation from 2 August 2012 to July 2013 as part of the Kandil cabinet.
Eldin worked at the ministry of water resources and irrigation as throughout his career.
He started his career as secretary general of the national water research center in 1992 and served there until 1994.
From 1995 to 2001, he worked as the director of the hydraulics research institute.
He was named as the head of the planning sector, and served for one year from 2001 to 2002.
In 2007, he was appointed the general coordinator of the national plan for water resources and irrigation project.
Next he served at different units of the ministry until 2011.
Lastly, he was named deputy minister of water resources and irrigation.
On 2 August 2012, he was appointed minister of water resources and irrigations.
He is an independent member of the cabinet led by prime minister Hesham Kandil, whom he succeeded as minister.
Prof. Mohamed Abdelmotaleb
July 2013 – June 2014
Former Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation/ Former President of the National Water Research Center (NWRC)
Personal and Educational Background
- Born on “May 31, 1960”
- Obtained a “Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering”, Ain Shams University in 1984.
- Master’s and PhD degrees in Engineering, University of Colorado, USA, in 1989 and 1992, respectively.
Career
- Researcher, National Water Research Center (NWRC), Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.
- Researcher, Hydraulics Research Institute
- Technical Office Director for the NWRC President
- Director of the Strategic Research Unit
- Director of the Water Resources Research Institute, 2002 to 2008.
- Head of the Planning Sector, Ministry from 2008 to 2011, where he oversaw national project planning and land reclamation strategies.
- First Undersecretary/Deputy Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, 2011–2012.
- President of NWRC, 2012 to 2013
- Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, July 2013– June 2014
- Reappointed as President of NWRC, November 2015 till 2018