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Azerbaijan said it's conducting due diligence ahead of a potential $250–270 million investment in Israeli desalination company IDE Technologies, according to reports. The state investment company, Azerbaijan Investment Holding (AIH), is reportedly exploring the purchase of a 30% stake in the firm.
If the deal goes through, it would mark Azerbaijan’s second significant state investment in Israeli infrastructure. Last summer, Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR acquired a 10% stake in the Tamar gas field for $1.25 billion.
The potential investment continues a longstanding trend of Azerbaijani-Israeli cooperation in water technology and infrastructure, which dates back to 2022, when Azerbaijan Investment Company signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IDE Water Assets Ltd on a desalination project in Azerbaijan.
Analysts note that Azerbaijan has increased foreign investment in Israel, with more than $542 million invested in the first half of 2025 alone, reflecting growing economic ties between the two countries.
This potential stake in IDE aligns with Azerbaijan’s broader strategy of expanding strategic foreign investments, including in water, energy, and high-tech infrastructure projects.
IDE Technologies is Israel’s largest desalination company and one of the largest globally, responsible for constructing almost all of Israel’s desalination plants except the Palmachim facility.
The company currently holds about 20% of Israel’s desalination market, including a 50% stake in the Hadera plant with an annual capacity of 127 million cubic metres, and ownership of the Sorek‑2 plant.

The company is also building a new facility in Western Galilee, expected to produce 100 million cubic metres per year when completed in 2027. Combined with the planned expansion of Sorek‑2, IDE’s share of Israel’s desalination market could rise to 45% say experts.
IDE’s existing shareholders include Israeli businessmen Avshalom Felber and Amir Lang, insurance companies Clal, Ayalon and Hachshara, the investment house Meitav Dash, and a pension fund for teachers and kindergarten educators.
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday. A mother and her two 3-year-old children were killed when a Russian drone strike hit a private home, the emergency service said.
Russian authorities have reported attacks on voting systems and communication lines as the country’s parliamentary election entered its second day on Saturday (19 September).
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has cleared the criminal record of former soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead a wounded Palestinian in the West Bank in 2016.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
Uzbekistan’s grape exports have grown rapidly. In January-August 2025, the country exported 86,200 tonnes of fresh grapes worth $78.3 million to 19 countries but can it turn these crops into a recognisable international product?
The death toll in a suicide attack at a police compound in northwest Pakistan has reached 31, AFP reported on Saturday, citing a police official.
Azerbaijan has rejected France’s justification for advising its citizens against travel to the country, after Paris cited risks of arbitrary detention and unfair trials.
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