Cairo, Egypt | 11–15 October 2025 — The Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS), represented by its Director General H.E. Ambassador Berik Aryn, and Director of Projects Department, Dr. Ismail Abdelhamid, participated in the 8th edition of Cairo Water Week (CWW) under the theme “Innovative Solutions for Climate Resilience and Water Sustainability.”
The event was officially opened with a video address by H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, who underscored the critical importance of joint regional action to address water scarcity, promote sustainable management, and strengthen resilience against climate-related challenges. His message set the tone for a week of high-level deliberations on integrating innovation and cooperation to secure water resources for future generations.
The visit marked a significant milestone for IOFS in enhancing regional cooperation on the water–food–climate nexus through strategic dialogues, high-level engagements, and impactful side events.
On 15 October, H.E. Ambassador Aryn delivered a keynote statement at Plenary Session 4: Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Water Systems, where he highlighted the urgent need to scale up water-smart agricultural practices across OIC Member States. He emphasized that climate change, land degradation, and recurrent droughts are threatening food systems across the Middle East, North Africa, Central, and South Asia. IOFS is therefore prioritizing nature-based solutions and smart irrigation technologies, along with strengthening seed systems and developing drought-tolerant crop varieties, to enhance resilience and sustainability in agriculture. He also called for greater investment, integrated governance, and cross-sectoral partnerships to ensure that nature-based approaches are mainstreamed into national development strategies.
Participation in the 38th INWRDAM General Assembly
Also on 13 October 2025, H.E. Ambassador Aryn addressed the 38th General Assembly of INWRDAM, affirming the importance of the Water–Energy–Food–Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus as a transformative model for climate resilience and inclusive development.
He highlighted the IOFS–INWRDAM MoU signed in March 2023 and ongoing cooperation in advancing joint WEFE projects, knowledge exchange, and capacity-building initiatives. IOFS also emphasized the importance of scaling models such as the Red Sea “Golden Triangle” initiative, which demonstrates successful cross-border cooperation on integrated water and food systems.
IOFS–IWMI–INWRDAM Side Event: Policy and Institutional Successes to Scale
On 13 October 2025, IOFS co-organized a high-level side event titled “Agricultural Development in the OIC Needs Water: Policy & Institutional Successes to Scale,” in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Inter-Islamic Network on Water Resources Development and Management (INWRDAM).
This dynamic session, moderated by the Director of the Projects Department of the Islamic Organization for Food Security, Dr. Ismail Abdelhamid, brought together government representatives, technical experts, and regional institutions to share successful policy interventions and institutional models from MENA and Central Asia. IOFS showcased its strategic commodity program, value-chain alignment approaches, and capacity-building efforts across water-scarce OIC regions
Country case studies from Saudi Arabia, Morocco provided innovative solutions in desalination policy, irrigation modernization, and drought-resilient cropping systems. The session concluded with pathways for replicating these successes through regional pilots and coordinated financing mechanisms.
Bilateral Meeting with INWRDAM Executive Director
On 12 October 2025, H.E. Ambassador Aryn held a high-level bilateral meeting with H.E. Dr. Marwan Alraggad, Executive Director of INWRDAM. The two leaders agreed to establish a dedicated IOFS–INWRDAM Working Group to identify and design collaborative projects for 2026.
Planned areas of joint action include regional pilots on water-smart agriculture, capacity-building programs on WEFE integration, and joint fundraising initiatives targeting climate finance instruments such as the Green Climate Fund.
ICARDA–IOFS Engagement: Translating Shared Vision into Action
The Cairo mission also featured a strategic meeting with H.E. Dr. Aly Abousabaa, Director General of ICARDA, on 13 October. During the discussion, both institutions reviewed their ongoing collaboration, including the repatriation of genetic resources to Kazakhstan, joint research missions, and capacity-building programs for national scientists. Particular emphasis was placed on expanding ICARDA’s involvement in areas related to plant genetic resources and crop production—especially wheat and barley—in North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, where ICARDA’s recognized expertise in dryland agriculture and seed systems is highly relevant. The two sides identified shared priorities and agreed to work jointly under a forthcoming Action Plan to advance food security in OIC Member States.
