The Mekorot Israel National Water Company has signed a strategic agreement with Kazakhstan to construct and upgrade water infrastructure in the Turkestan Region in that country’s south.
The deal, estimated at tens of millions of dollars, is among the first concrete outcomes of Kazakhstan joining the Abraham Accords in November 2025, Israel’s Channel 12 News reported on Tuesday.
The agreement was promoted by Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen, who called the agreement “an important step that will strengthen Israel’s position as a regional energy power and a global leader in water technologies.”
Under the agreement, Mekorot will develop, operate and maintain a regional water system using advanced Israeli technologies, Channel 12 reported. The project includes measurement and monitoring systems, a central command-and-control infrastructure, and cyber defenses aimed at improving efficiency, reducing water loss and increasing supply reliability.
The Turkestan Region, home to more than 2 million residents, spans approximately 116,000 square kilometers (45,000 square miles)—about five times the size of Israel. Roughly 75% of the population lives in rural areas. The region is characterized by an arid climate and an economy heavily reliant on agriculture.
While the region is not lacking in natural water resources, outdated infrastructure has led to water losses exceeding 50%. By comparison, Mekorot’s water loss rate stands at approximately 3%, one of the lowest in the world, Channel 12 reported.
Mekorot acting CEO Daniel Soffer said the company is proud to “be partners in the vision of turning water scarcity into an engine of growth. Mekorot is simultaneously promoting a number of other initiatives in the country and sees Kazakhstan as an essential strategic growth channel.”
Mekorot has become a leading Israeli infrastructure company in Muslim countries, including Jordan, Bahrain, Morocco, Azerbaijan and now Kazakhstan.
Global Water Intelligence (GWI), a publisher and events organizer for the international water industry, reported in January that the Kazakhstan project “adapts methodologies developed in Israel to continental-scale systems.”
Barak Graber, CEO of Mekorot Development & Enterprise (MDE), the arm of Mekorot responsible for international projects, told GWI that Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan “are not replicas of the Israeli model. The solutions are tailored to each country and each water sector.”
