They discussed water security.. The Egyptian Foreign Minister meets Abdullah bin Zayed and Trump’s advisor

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati affirmed his country's rejection of Ethiopia's unilateral measures in the Nile River, during his meeting, on Saturday evening, with his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, and Musaad Boulos, chief advisor to US President Donald Trump.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement: “A meeting between Dr. Badr Abdel Ati, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptians Abroad, with His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the sisterly United Arab Emirates, and Mr. Massad Boulos, Senior Advisor to the US President for Arab and African Affairs, on November 13, 2026, at the Sir Bani Yas Forum held in the United Arab Emirates.”

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed in a statement that "the meeting discussed the security situation in the Horn of Africa region, ways to support calm and enhance regional security and stability, as well as water security issues."

The ministry added that Badr Abdel Aty stressed during the meeting “the determinants of Egyptian water security, the necessity of adhering to the rules of international law, and rejecting unilateral measures in the Nile River.”

The meeting also discussed developments in the situation in Sudan and efforts aimed at ending the conflict and alleviating the human suffering of the brotherly Sudanese people.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs published photos from the meeting and attached them to its statement on Facebook.

Last year, Ethiopia officially opened the Renaissance Dam, the largest hydroelectric dam in Africa, a project that would provide energy to millions of Ethiopians, while deepening the dispute with Egypt and destabilizing the region.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam was built on the Blue Nile, the most important tributary of the Nile River, and has been generating electricity for 3 years.

Ethiopia has suffered from years of internal conflict, and experts say that this dam was a real source of unity for the country.

But Egypt, located downstream, is concerned. The Nile is the lifeline of Egypt, and since it is a mostly desert country, its residents depend on the Nile River to provide about 90% of their fresh water.

Egypt now fears that the new dam will lead to a water shortage.

As for Sudan, Ethiopia's neighbor, it also fears an interruption in its water supply, and has joined Egypt's calls to conclude binding agreements on filling and operating the dam.

Cairo's position was supported by US President Donald Trump during his first term. Trump had said that “the situation is dangerous, and that Cairo may end up blowing up that dam,” but his administration failed to help reach an agreement on the project, as years of talks regarding it did not result in any agreement.

Trump touched on the issue of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the decline in the level of the Nile River, in a bilateral meeting he held with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on the sidelines of the recent G7 summit in France.