Sudan and Egypt: A Partnership for Food Security

By Ibrahim Shaqlawi

In March 2015, during the Arab Economic Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Sudan presented a comprehensive initiative to strengthen Arab food security. The proposal was based on a strategic vision prepared by a team of experts after months of technical workshops, with the participation of the ministries of irrigation, agriculture, finance, and investment. At the time, the initiative signaled a serious acknowledgment of Sudan’s vast potential in this critical field.

The effort was reinforced by a study commissioned by the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development and conducted by a German consultancy, aimed at assessing the Arab world’s food gap and Sudan’s potential role in bridging it. Yet despite the completion of the study, no concrete follow-up was pursued—raising questions about the mechanisms of Arab joint action and its ability to capitalize on available resources, particularly in Sudan.

In recent years, however, practical initiatives have emerged within Sudan to confront mounting challenges. These include the SASAS program to improve drought-resistant sorghum production; the Innovation Studio for Resilience (ISR), backed by international partners to promote local solutions; and the Strategic Policy Support Program led by IFPRI, which has provided decision-makers with accurate data. Collectively, these efforts reflect a growing drive by local, regional, and international actors to establish Sudan as a reliable source of Arab food security.

Agricultural integration between Sudan and Egypt transcends bilateral cooperation. It forms part of a broader regional vision to achieve sustainable food security in the Nile Basin and the wider Arab world. Sudan, with its fertile land and water resources, represents the strategic depth of Egyptian and Arab food security, while Egypt brings decades of expertise in agricultural reform and development planning.

In a recent move welcomed with optimism, Eng. Mahmoud Hindi, president of the Sudanese-Egyptian Businessmen Association, announced that Sudan has allocated 100 acres along the Nile for large-scale agricultural projects, with technical and financial support from Egypt and international organizations such as the FAO.

Meanwhile, Salah Ali Mohammed, Minister of Agriculture in Sudan’s River Nile State, confirmed the launch of a 120-acre rice cultivation project in Atbara, funded by the FAO and the Technology Transfer Fund. He praised rice as a crop capable of diversifying diets and strengthening food security.

These steps signal an integrative policy between Sudan and Egypt—one that leverages natural resources and shared expertise to drive sustainable agricultural growth. The focus lies on enhancing smallholder productivity, developing agricultural infrastructure, ensuring resource sustainability, and boosting economic returns.

Such projects cannot be separated from the wider Nile Basin context, particularly after the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Ethiopia holds significant hydropower capacity that affects water flows, Sudan offers vast arable land for multi-seasonal cultivation, and Egypt contributes strategic know-how in agricultural management and training.

With clear agreements, the three countries could transform the GERD from a flashpoint of tension into an unprecedented opportunity for regional cooperation. This would create an integrated system for managing water, energy, and land—enhancing food security, driving sustainable development, and turning the Nile Basin into a model of stability and integration.

These efforts come at a time when the Arab world faces an annual food import bill exceeding $44 billion, with self-sufficiency in grains below 50%, and declining production due to desertification and climate change, according to the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD). Economists argue that investing in Sudan’s agricultural resources, coupled with Egyptian expertise and Arab financial support, offers the best path to reducing dependence on volatile global markets plagued by conflict and fragile supply chains.

Achieving these goals requires stronger political and administrative coordination among Nile Basin countries, increased investment in Sudan’s agricultural infrastructure, expanded Arab and international financing for food security projects, and the design of joint training programs to transfer expertise and modern technologies. Flexible agricultural policies that account for climate change, and partnerships linking governments, civil society, and research centers, will also be essential.

According to Wajh al-Haqiqa, the current wave of agricultural cooperation between Sudan and Egypt signals a potential shift from bilateral collaboration to a strategic regional partnership—placing food security at the heart of development and stability in the Nile Basin and the Arab world. It offers a practical model of how resources and challenges can be transformed into opportunities, ensuring a more secure and prosperous future for the region’s peoples.