During the meeting, Kattan further stressed the Kingdom's stance supportive of Egypt in preserving its water rights, a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry said.

They discussed ways of enhancing cooperation with African countries within the framework of the two countries' foreign policy aimed to develop relations with the countries of the continent, the statement added.

Since 2011, Egypt has been in talks with Ethiopia and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which Cairo sees as a threat to its water security in the absence of a legally binding deal regulating its filling and operation.

Egypt has repeatedly stressed the necessity of reaching a deal that preserves Cairo’s water rights and averts the region further tensions and instability.

Rounds of African Union-sponsored talks to resolve the decade-long dispute between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan collapsed in April.

Egypt’s annual share of water is 560 m3 per person, cabinet figures show, placing the country well below the international threshold for water scarcity. When annual water supplies drop below 1,000 m3 per person, according to the UN, the population faces water scarcity, and below 500 cubic metres "absolute scarcity."