Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi urged on Sunday the completion of the studies required to ensure effective application of advanced technology related to seawater desalination, a presidential statement read.

In a meeting with the premier as well as ministers and other officials, El-Sisi urged the completion of the required studies so that Egypt reaches the best results in all aspects in the water desalination field.

The statement mentioned that these efforts should be carried out with consideration given to the diversified factors affecting Egypt’s use of this technology, including the country’s wide and deep coasts that overlook the Red and Mediterranean seas.

The meeting reviewed opportunities to benefit from the latest technological systems for seawater desalination, the statement read.

All the technical details of the advanced seawater desalination technology were presented, particularly in terms of economic feasibility, water quantity and quality, production capacity and electricity consumption, the statement added.

Since President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has taken office, Egypt has been aiming to maximise the use of water and reuse treated water, Minister of Housing Assem El-Gazzar said in April.

El-Gazzar revealed that 14 seawater desalination plants are being built in Egypt, with a total capacity of 476,000 cubic metres of water per day, at a cost of EGP 9.71 billion (about $618 million).

The 14 plants, expected to be completed by June 2022, are being constructed in the governorates of Marsa Matrouh, the Red Sea, North Sinai, South Sinai, Port Said, Daqahliya, Suez and Alexandria, El-Gazzar's statement read.

When built, the plants will bring Egypt’s tally to 90 desalination stations with a total capacity of 1,307,69 million cubic metres per day due to the operation of 76 existing seawater desalination plants, with a total capacity of 831,690 cubic metres per day, the minister said.

El-Sisi also met separately on Sunday with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir, during which they reviewed the work status of a number of transport projects nationwide.

During the meeting, the president ordered that the new road axes system on the Nile River be integrated in all aspects and not be limited to transportation, a presidential statement read.

El-Sisi “ordered that the new axes system … serve as development and life arteries for all citizens on both banks of the Nile Valley and ease the daily heavy traffic,” the statement added.