Egyptian eco-friendly water bottle launched on sidelines of COP27

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi holds a bottle of Good Water at COP27. (Spokesman of the Egyptian Presidency)
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Updated 13 November 2022
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Egyptian eco-friendly water bottle launched on sidelines of COP27

  • The recently launched Good Water bottles are being distributed around a host of events taking place at COP27
  • The inexpensive, blue, 500-mililiter Good Water bottles will go on sale in Egypt at the beginning of next year

CAIRO: Egyptian-produced eco-friendly water bottles are taking pride of place on the tables of world leaders and delegates attending the COP27 climate summit.

The recently launched Good Water bottles are being distributed around a host of events taking place at the UN conference on climate change in Sharm El-Sheikh.

As part of Egypt’s vision toward a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future, hundreds of young people have been handing out the mineral water bottles which are made from plant materials and fitted with caps manufactured using a biopolymer derived from sugar cane.

Following the product launch on the sidelines of COP27, the inexpensive, blue, 500-mililiter Good Water bottles will go on sale in Egypt at the beginning of next year.

The water is sterilized before being packaged in cartons to protect it from light. Designed to meet internationally approved environmental standards, the production process does not use any fossil fuel, the bottles can be reused, and they decompose far quicker than plastic.

The Good Water company was established earlier this year by a group of Egyptian entrepreneurs with backing from national investors.


Qatar joins US-led Pax Silica Alliance to secure semiconductor and critical mineral supply chains

Updated 13 January 2026
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Qatar joins US-led Pax Silica Alliance to secure semiconductor and critical mineral supply chains

  • Doha says participation in alliance will enhance its international partnerships in fields of semiconductors, computing, cybersecurity and digital technologies.
  • Qatar is the second Middle Eastern country to join the US-led economic-security coalition, after Israel

LONDON: Qatar joined the US-led Pax Silica Alliance on Monday in a move described as a strategic step to enhance cooperation in advanced technologies and supply-chain security.

The alliance was launched last month in Washington with the aim of securing global supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence technology, critical minerals and digital infrastructure.

Doha said participation in the alliance will enhance its international partnerships in the fields of semiconductors, computing, cybersecurity and digital technologies, helping to boost the country’s technological capabilities and economic diversification efforts, the Qatar News Agency reported.

Ahmed Al-Sayed, Qatar’s minister of state for foreign trade affairs, and Jacob Helberg, the US under secretary of state for economic affairs, signed the Pax Silica declaration during a ceremony in Doha.

Al-Sayed said the world was undergoing a significant transformation driven by AI, rising energy and mineral demands, and rapid technological advancements.

He described the declaration as “a new milestone in the Qatar-US partnership, founded on trust, shared interests, and a unified vision for advancing stability and prosperity.”

He added: “Qatar recognizes that the currency of geopolitical power has changed. Sovereignty is no longer just about protecting borders, it is about securing the supply chains of the artificial intelligence era.”

Qatar is the second Middle Eastern country to join the alliance; Israel signed up in December. Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the UK and Australia have also joined the bloc.

“In a region often defined by its fractures, Pax Silica marks a historic opportunity for the region to shift from political rivalry to economic interoperability,” Helberg said.