During an official visit to London as the head of the Egypt‑UK business mission for mining, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi held talks with Hoda Mansour, Managing Director and Vice Chairwoman of Sukari Gold Mines Company, representing AngloGold Ashanti.
According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources’ (MoPMR) statement, the meeting focused on deepening cooperation with AngloGold Ashanti, the world’s fourth-largest gold mining company, and channelling additional investment into Egypt.
The company recently received two new exploration and exploitation licences in the Eastern Desert to complement its current operations and ambitious Sukari gold mine development plans.
According to the statement, Badawi reaffirmed the Ministry’s full support for AngloGold Ashanti’s efforts to boost gold production from the Sukari mine, in line with discussions held recently between the company and the Prime Minister.
He also highlighted the importance of accelerating gold exploration activities in the company’s new licence areas under Egypt’s updated model agreement for gold and mineral exploitation, which aligns with globally competitive investment frameworks and represents a launchpad for attracting wider mining investments.
Furthermore, the talks covered potential cooperation in training and human capital development, including exploring partnerships to design training and qualification programmes for Egyptian geologists and mining engineers at AngloGold Ashanti’s various operations.
The two newly awarded licences offer AngloGold Ashanti a significant opportunity for large‑scale exploration across an area exceeding 2,200 square kilometres in within the Nubian‑Arabian Shield, a region rich in gold and other mineral resources.
AngloGold Ashanti received the two exploration licences, covering the 848 km² Nugrus block near Sukari and the 1,374 km² Najd block 100 km northwest, in April 2025 from the Mineral Resources and Mining Industries Authority (MRMIA). These licenses target the unexplored areas of the gold-rich Nubian-Arabian Shield, enabling the company to pursue satellite deposits that will feed Sukari’s processing plant and potentially support standalone operations at Najd.
