The State of Kuwait participated in the 8th meeting of the High-Level Joint Committee on Water and Agriculture, held on the sidelines of the 9th Cairo Water Week. Kuwait was represented by a delegation from the Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy, which included Eng. Sarah Al-Mutairi, Director of the Chemical Work Department, and Eng. Khuloud Al-Hazza, Supervisor of Laboratories.

Delivering a speech today, Thursday, on behalf of the State of Kuwait—the current president of the General Assembly of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD)—Eng. Sarah Al-Mutairi emphasized Kuwait's keenness to strengthen joint Arab action and integration between the water and agricultural sectors amidst the severe challenges facing the Arab region.

Al-Mutairi explained that the Arab region faces growing challenges, led by water scarcity and rapid climate change, which exert increasing pressure on the agricultural sector and food security.

She noted that the journey of cooperation, which began with the first joint ministerial meeting in Cairo in 2019, requires today—more than ever—enhancing integration between water and agricultural policies, as well as following up on the implementation of action plans arising from the Cairo Declaration.

She added that this requires a focus on innovation, leveraging non-conventional water resources, and deploying modern technologies and spatial information systems to bridge data gaps and support decision-making, alongside providing technical support to sisterly nations facing exceptional crises.

On behalf of the General Assembly of the AOAD, Al-Mutairi reaffirmed Kuwait's commitment to supporting integrated initiatives that respond to the priorities of member states. She highlighted the importance of enhancing the resilience of the agricultural and water sectors, exchanging expertise, building on successful experiences, and activating joint national coordination mechanisms to ensure the sustainability of resources for future generations.

The meeting discussed several agenda items, including progress in implementing the 2019 Cairo Declaration action plan, the use of non-conventional water resources for agriculture in the Arab region, and progress achieved in the pilot application of guidelines for improving the sustainable allocation of water resources for agriculture.

She expressed her wishes for the meeting's success and hoped that discussions would yield practical, actionable recommendations meeting the aspirations of Arab nations toward achieving water and food security.

She also expressed sincere gratitude and appreciation to the leadership, government, and people of the Arab Republic of Egypt for their warm reception, generous hospitality, and excellent organization of the event.

Furthermore, she thanked the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States—represented by the Economic Sector and the Department of Housing, Water Resources, and Disaster Risk Reduction—the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, and partner regional and international organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), for their tireless efforts in preparing for the meeting and coordinating joint action.

The Kuwaiti delegation's participation also included attending the 17th session of the Arab Ministerial Water Council, the 24th meeting of the Technical Scientific Advisory Committee from October 24 to 26, and the 7th Arab Water Conference held on October 26 and 27.