In February 2018, Water. Desalination + reuse (Faversham House) reported that Egypt had committed EGP 900 billion ($51 billion) to a 20-year national water management plan. The pledge was made public during the Egypt Can 3 meeting in Luxor on 25 and 26 February. In January, an extra 110,000 m³/day had come on line at the Al Yusr plant in Hurghada on the Red Sea, lifting national desalination capacity to 250,000 m³/day across 40 plants. Egypt aimed for 15 further new or upgraded facilities and 700,000 m³/day by 2021.
The report showed Egypt broadening its water planning with the Ethiopian dam on the Nile in view, while expanding coastal desalination step by step.