{"id":3572,"date":"2026-09-09T00:09:32","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T21:09:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailybusiness.info\/?p=3572"},"modified":"2026-09-09T00:09:32","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T21:09:32","slug":"tycoon-salah-diab-proposes-solution-to-egypts-water-crisis-we-will-cultivate-100-million-feddans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailybusiness.info\/?p=3572","title":{"rendered":"Tycoon Salah Diab proposes solution to Egypt\u2019s water crisis: \u201cWe will cultivate 100 million feddans\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Businessman Salah Diab \t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Prominent Egyptian business tycoon and founder of Al-Masry Al-Youm, Salah Diab, has urged a sweeping transition from traditional flood irrigation to modern drip systems to combat Egypt\u2019s escalating water crisis<\/a>, citing tenfold consumption cuts in agricultural trials.<\/p>\n

Speaking during an interview on Al Arabiya\u2019s \u201cFirst Class\u201d<\/i> show hosted by Fatima Al-Daawi, Diab argued that traditional flood irrigation consumes up to 10 times more water than modern techniques while yielding far lower efficiency.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn one of our farms located at the tail end of an irrigation canal, we faced severe water shortages when attempting to cultivate 16 feddans of bananas,\u201d Diab explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter adopting drip irrigation, we expanded cultivation on that same farm to 260 feddans while simultaneously reducing fertilizer usage and pump fuel consumption by 90 percent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diab proposed phasing in modern irrigation systems across two governorates each year.<\/p>\n

He estimated that a nationwide rollout could free up enough water to expand Egypt\u2019s cultivated land area from 10 million feddans to 100 million feddans.<\/p>\n

The agricultural sector and national water strategy<\/b><\/h3>\n

In an effort to mitigate Egypt\u2019s chronic water deficit<\/a> and maximize agricultural output, prominent figures and state ministries are prioritizing a shift away from traditional flood irrigation:<\/p>\n