Arab water officials hold meeting in Cairo

The Arab Ministerial Water Council held its executive board meeting at the Arab League here on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters during his attendance on behalf of Kuwait, Minister of Public Works and Minister of Electricity and Water Abdulaziz Al-Ibrahim, stressed the importance of gaining know-how from experienced nations on the subject. "Water is the base of all living things, and can result in future wars if solutions are not found to the issue (of its shortage)," he said. In this regard, he urged a "common and resilient vision" of Arab nations at international podiums - like the World Water Forum in South Korea at the end of February - and steadfast preparation for the Gulf Water Conference in Doha two months later. The executive board's meeting welcomed Saudi Arabia's proposal to hold a joint meeting between Arab and South American nations in December to discuss joint coordination on water desalination and modern water technologies. They meeting also discussed several studies on saving water, and Israeli breaches on Arab water sovereignty. Qatar was elected chair and Tunisia deputy chair for the 2014/15 period, he added. The meeting was attended by senior water officials from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.