Head of groundwater sector of the Irrigation and Water Resources Ministry Sameh Saqr repudiated reports by some newspapers and websites claiming that the available groundwater for the 1.5 million feddan project was not enough.

In statements on Thursday, Saqr said the kind of crops should not be water-intensive, recommending the cultivation of desert crops for optimal use of available ground water.

He added that the main goal of the project is establishing new urban communities in the heart of the desert, thus changing the demographic map.