Sahara Expo 2026 Opens in Cairo With Irrigation, Mechanization and Investment in Focus

The 38th Sahara International Agricultural Exhibition opened in Cairo on September 22, bringing agricultural companies, policymakers, investors and buyers together around irrigation, mechanization, crop management and agricultural technology.

Egyptian Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk formally opened the exhibition at the Egypt International Exhibition Centre alongside Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam and representatives of Egyptian and international companies. Officials toured exhibits focused on agricultural machinery and irrigation systems while discussing investment and partnership opportunities.

The event runs from September 22 through September 24. Organizers report 350 exhibitors, 25 exhibiting countries, 200 hosted buyers and more than 21,000 attendees, illustrating Sahara's role as a commercial meeting point for companies targeting Egypt, North Africa and the wider Middle East.

Water and irrigation are particularly important themes for the region. The conference program brings government, finance, export and agricultural organizations into the same venue, while the exhibition floor gives equipment suppliers and technology providers direct access to growers, distributors and prospective partners.

The commercial emphasis extends beyond machinery. Sahara's buyer and matchmaking programs are designed to connect suppliers with purchasing organizations and investors, while dedicated programming covers food security, agricultural exports, entrepreneurship and the role of women in agriculture.

For international suppliers, Egypt combines a large domestic agricultural economy with a strategic position linking African, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean markets. That makes developments at Sahara relevant beyond the event itself, particularly for irrigation technology, farm machinery, crop inputs and companies looking for distribution partnerships in the region.

The exhibition's 2026 edition also reflects the increasing overlap between agricultural production and investment policy. Egypt's government has emphasized agricultural development and water efficiency, while exhibitors are competing to supply technologies capable of improving productivity under resource constraints.

Sources: Egypt State Information Service, https://sis.gov.eg/en/media-center/news/agriculture-minister-opens-38th-sahara-international-exhibition/ ; Sahara Expo official site, https://www.saharaexpo.com/ ; Sahara conference agenda, https://www.saharaexpo.com/visit/conference/agenda1/