Egypt to launch an "artificial river" in the desert to irrigate wheat
Egypt has officially launched the large-scale agricultural project "New Delta," which involves growing wheat and other crops on land reclaimed from the desert using an artificial water supply system.
This was reported by UkrAgroConsult.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi presented the project during the 2026 wheat harvest on new fields west of the Nile Delta.
Total investment in the “New Delta” has already reached 800 billion Egyptian pounds (over $15 billion). The funds are being directed toward:
- land preparation in the desert;
- construction of grain silos;
- the development of industrial zones;
- building roads and logistics infrastructure between the desert, the Nile Valley, and ports.
According to government estimates, the project will create over 2 million jobs.
A key element is a large-scale water supply system, already dubbed the “artificial river.”
Water from drainage canals in the western part of the Nile Delta flows to the El Hamam treatment plant, where up to 7.5 million cubic meters of water are treated daily. It is then transported through a 170-kilometer canal via 13 pumping stations to desert regions.
The “New Delta” is the largest land reclamation project in Egypt’s history. In the long term, the area of new agricultural land could reach approximately 9,000 km², which would increase the country’s cultivated land by about 15%.
The main focus is on growing wheat, corn, vegetables, as well as export crops, particularly olives and figs.
Egypt views the project as a response to food security challenges that have intensified following the COVID-19 pandemic and global crises, particularly the war in Ukraine.
At the same time, experts and human rights advocates point to the project’s high energy intensity, significant government spending, and the concentration of management within military-linked structures.
According to USDA estimates, wheat imports by North African countries in the 2026/27 marketing year could drop to 29 million tons (-12.9%).
Specifically, Morocco may reduce imports by 43%—to 4 million tons, Algeria by approximately 10%, and Egypt by about 5%, to 12.5 million tons.
