In recent years, due to the rapid population growth, the contradiction between Egypt's limited land and a large population has become increasingly prominent. In 2015, the Egyptian government proposed a plan to reclaim deserts and add arable land to improve deserts in Ismailia Province, Minya Province and other places. Zhongman Group accelerated its entry into Egypt and established Zhongman Egypt in October 2016.

"In 2018, when we started the drilling project, there was no grass here. Later, with the wells we drilled, the desert gradually turned into an oasis. Now, under the water of the well, crops such as sugar beet, alfalfa, barley and so on are grown here. A bumper harvest." said Zhou Guiqiang, the team leader of Zhongman Egypt.

Workers from China's Zhongman Company dig a well for a plantation farm in the desert of Egypt's Minya province

At the beginning of construction, the drilling team encountered many difficulties due to their lack of understanding of the formation and geological conditions. Li Wei, general manager of Zhongman Egypt Company, said: "The wall of large wellbore is unstable and easy to collapse; the water layer is buried in different depths, and it is easy to leak; the water output of the formation is large, and the pressure of the air compressor is insufficient... These problems made the early construction difficult. passive."

The technical teams of China and Egypt have continuously cooperated in research, and finally overcome various technical problems, ensuring the smooth and efficient progress of the entire project in the later stage. At present, the company has completed the drilling construction of 158 water wells, and the remaining drilling construction tasks will be completed in the future according to the progress of the partners' projects.

"Our efforts have not only been recognized by our partners, but also a pragmatic measure of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Egyptian government's plan to reclaim desert and newly added arable land. We are very proud to be able to participate in it," said Zhou Guiqiang.

"2022 is the second year we are growing sugar beets here, and the yield is 50 percent higher than last year," said Arun Baldwin, project manager for agricultural planting at a joint venture between Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. The cultivated land has a stable water supply guarantee.

Baldwin said: "In 2018, we cooperated with Zhongman Egypt to start exploration drilling in this desert. With the assistance of the other party, we are now able to irrigate with well water. After the drilling project is completed, there will be 330 to 350 A water well to provide water security for our agricultural planting projects.”

Farm leader Baldwin holds sugar beets on a sugar beet farm in the desert of Minya province, Egypt

"Zhongman Egypt's drilling work is excellent, and our sugar refinery is also built by another Chinese company. Good cooperation has allowed us to establish a deep friendship." Baldwin said, "We look forward to further deepening our cooperation in the future."Editor/Ma Xue