Middle East

Region

Contact

Sabrina Kraaijenbrink-Doetjes

Project Manager International

+31 70 304 3763

s.doetjes@nwp.nl

In the Middle East, all countries have their own characteristics, culture, and geopolitical circumstances. However, in terms of water, there are also many shared challenges. Droughts and limited freshwater resources as well as the large quantities of water being used for agriculture are some of the urgent issues the whole region needs to deal with. Wastewater and sanitation, coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion, and urban planning are some of the other challenges at hand.

Opportunities for the sector

The Middle East offers many opportunities for business and reciprocal cooperation between the Dutch water sector and their Middle East counterparts. In the Palestinian Territories, collaboration is also supported at a government to government level, amongst others by the Water Support Programme. Other countries with which the Netherlands is intensifying its water collaboration include Oman, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Obviously, the Middle East collaboration is also closely linked to our water cooperation with Egypt, which is supported by the Partners for Water Programme. In addition to the countries mentioned above, we see more and more opportunities for water cooperation in Jordan and Iraq.

Topics and solutions that the region has a great interest in are broad and depend on the region or country. To name a few: water efficiency, water for agriculture, geo data use, WASH, coastal zone management, water governance, wastewater management, IT & water management, and urban resilience solutions.

If you are a Dutch organisation active in one of these areas, or if you wish to expand your water related network in the Middle East, feel free to contact us.

The same applies to organisations in the Middle East region itself. Our network of Dutch water organisations offers you access to some of the most innovative companies and renowned knowledge institutes.

Together we can drive our water ambitions into the future.