Iran proposes expanded water ties with Saudi Arabia, OIC states
A senior official at Iran’s Ministry of Energy announced on Tuesday that Tehran is seeking to strengthen joint water management cooperation with Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries.
On the sidelines of the fifth Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Conference of Ministers Responsible for Water in Saudi Arabia, Mohammadvali Alaeddini, head of the ministry’s International Affairs Department, met with a Saudi deputy minister, IRNA reported.
He said one of the main objectives of Energy Minister Abbas Ali Abadi’s visit and Iran’s participation in the conference is to advance shared water projects among OIC member countries.
“Given the different strengths of each country in this field, these meetings provide valuable opportunities for mutual understanding and knowledge sharing,” he said. He added that Iran is willing to generously share its expertise in water resources management with all countries.
Alaeddini highlighted Iran’s diverse water resources, which include more than 300 dams, underground wells, rivers, and transboundary sources shared with neighbors such as Turkey, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan. About 4% of these resources is allocated for drinking water, with the remainder used for agriculture and industry.
Inviting Saudi officials to visit Iran, he said, “Considering that water is the essence of life and should foster unity rather than conflict, we are interested in joint cooperation with Saudi Arabia in water-related matters alongside other ongoing collaborations.”
He also emphasized the capabilities of Iranian knowledge-based companies, noting over 1,000 inventions in the water and electricity sector, and invited Saudi officials to visit Iran to see such innovations firsthand.
Alaeddini cited Iran’s achievements in engineering and technical services in the water and electricity sectors, saying many countries in the region and beyond are already clients of Iranian expertise. “Iran is keen to expand these interactions with Saudi Arabia as well,” he added.
The OIC conference, hosted by Saudi Arabia, brings together more than 49 countries and 20 ministers, including representatives from Iran, Egypt, Mauritania, and Indonesia.