Egypt is preparing to launch its first comprehensive nationwide aerial survey of mineral resources in four decades, scheduled for the first quarter of this year, the government announced on Saturday.
Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi said the survey aims to update geological data and establish a modern, integrated database to attract Arab and international investment in the mining sector.
Egypt has a diverse and extensive mineral base, both in terms of type and geographic distribution. Its resources include solid minerals such as coal found above phosphate formations in the Red Sea and New Valley governorates; radioactive materials such as uranium in the Eastern Desert and Sinai; metallic ores including iron; non-metallic minerals; and precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum.
The country possesses large quantities of raw materials used in chemical industries and fertilizers, as well as construction materials including granite, marble, white sand, and limestone.
Many of these resources are available in significant volumes and are already being exploited for domestic production and export, according to official investment data.
Saturday’s announcement was made during a meeting chaired by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, which reviewed recent developments in Egypt’s mining sector, the size of its geological reserves, and investment trends.
Presidential spokesperson Mohamed El-Shennawy said the meeting reviewed Badawi’s participation in the fifth International Mining Conference that was held in Riyadh from January 13-15.
During the conference, Egypt presented a package of legislative and regulatory reforms designed to improve the investment climate, including the adoption of globally competitive models for exploiting gold and other minerals, new incentives for international exploration companies, and simplified licensing procedures.
The meeting also addressed coordination between the ministries of petroleum, mineral resources, electricity, and renewable energy to secure Egypt’s natural gas needs, particularly during the summer.
Sisi stressed the importance of continuing to meet financial obligations to oil and gas companies operating in Egypt, saying this is essential to boosting domestic production.
He called for intensifying exploration activities, expanding incentives for investors in the oil, gas, and mining sectors, and accelerating field development in order to meet growing consumption and development needs and reinforce the country’s ambition to become a regional energy and gas trading hub.
