EBRD boosts secure and sustainable water supply in Egypt
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is extending a senior loan of up to EGP 350 million (€6.4 million) to Ridgewood for Water Desalination (RWD), a Hassan Allam Utilities company, to support Egypt’s water security goals through sustainable infrastructure development.
The financing to RWD will fund the construction of new small-scale desalination plants and upgrade of existing facilities along Egypt’s Red Sea and Mediterranean coasts.
These new facilities will help RWD to deliver a reliable water supply to key sectors of Egypt’s economy, such as tourism and industry, which currently lack access to municipal water owing to the country’s regulatory regime. The investment will also improve operational and energy efficiency, while supporting the company’s growth and diversification.
Egypt faces significant water scarcity, namely an annual deficit of around 7 billion cubic metres, with the Nile River accounting for 97 per cent of its freshwater resources. Population growth, climate change and regional pressures have intensified the need for a sustainable water supply.
Expanding desalination capacity, through public-private partnerships and private investment, will help to meet this need and enable the use of renewable energy, ensuring resilience and sustainability.
The upgraded central water stations and new standalone plants are expected to add a desalination capacity of approximately 10,000 to 15,000 cubic metres a day.
Ridgewood for Water Desalination is an Egypt-based company, incorporated in 1999, that provides desalinated water to private-sector clients in the coastal areas of Egypt.
Egypt is a founding member of the EBRD. Since the start of the Bank's operations in the country in 2012, the EBRD has invested almost €13.9 billion in 209 projects across the economy.
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EBRD promotes domestic production of pharmaceuticals in Uzbekistan
08.01.2026.17:08
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is promoting further growth in domestic production of pharmaceutical products in Uzbekistan by supporting the operations of leading local manufacturer Nika Pharm.
Nika Pharm will use the EBRD loan of up to US$ 20 million to restructure its balance sheet and upgrade equipment and facilities in order to increase production capacity, improve product quality and bring the entire manufacturing process into compliance with the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards of the World Health Organisation’s certification scheme.
The company has been an EBRD client since 2021 and is a well-established producer of tablets, capsules, sachets and nasal sprays for use in the treatment of common colds, as well as in gastroenterology, paediatrics and urology. During this time, Nika Pharm has become a leader in several key segments, including decongestants, and has shown strong and sustainable growth by replacing imports with high-quality local production.
The project will help to expand Nika Pharm’s manufacturing base, improve its sustainability and efficiency, and lead to an average 140 per cent increase in the company’s production of generic pharmaceuticals and prescription drugs. Together with GMP certification, this will allow Nika Pharm to strengthen its position both domestically and regionally.
Uzbekistan’s rapidly growing pharmaceuticals market, which is set to expand by a further 10 per cent by 2029, is dominated (around 75 per cent) by imported medicines. The project will help contribute to the government’s plan of eventually bringing the share of locally produced pharmaceuticals to 80 per cent.
The EBRD has invested over US$ 6.6 billion in Uzbekistan to date through 196 projects, with the majority of those funds supporting private entrepreneurship, contributing to the country’s economic development.
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