Egypt is exploring broader opportunities for its petroleum and engineering companies to participate in Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project, as revealed during the official visit by Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi to the Kingdom.

Badawi, who led a delegation including heads of ENNI and PETROJET, met with NEOM CEO Aiman Al-Mudaifer and other senior company officials to review developments in the project and the opportunities available within the framework of Saudi Vision 2030, as per a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR).

The meeting delved into means of cooperation between the petroleum sector and NEOM in energy projects, particularly green hydrogen. They also addressed cooperation opportunities between the Mineral Resources and Mining Industries Authority (MRMIA) and NEOM’s industrial projects to secure the city’s needs for strategic minerals.

Badawi and Al-Mudaifer agreed to form joint working groups to expand partnership opportunities and highlighted the importance of exchanging expertise. This includes the implementation of short-term training programs for Egyptian personnel in collaboration with NEOM’s specialized companies.

Launched in 2017, NEOM is Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion megacity project, designed as a futuristic hub for innovation, sustainability, and economic diversification under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.It  is envisioned as a “living laboratory” for urban innovation, green energy, and cutting-edge technologies

Expanding on the visit’s industrial focus, Badawi also met with the CEO of the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh, to strengthen ties in the petrochemical sector. The minister asserted the deep relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, emphasizing a shared commitment to expanding cooperation in fertilizers and downstream industries.

During the meeting, Badawi presented several key investment opportunities in Egypt designed to maximize the value added of local resources. These included the Silicon Products Project, the Egyptian Soda Ash Company Project, the Egyptian Sustainable Aviation Fuel Company (ESAF) Project, and the Red Sea Petrochemicals Company Project.

In general, the visit aims to increase the participation of Egyptian companies in implementing energy and infrastructure projects underway in the Kingdom, strengthen partnerships in the petroleum and mining sectors, and attract new Saudi investments to Egypt in these fields, noted the statement.

The Saudi Arabia visit caps a series of international engagements by the minister over the past week aimed at strengthening Egypt’s cooperation in mining and energy. Badawi led the Egyptian-British Business Mission in London to promote mineral potential, discussed joint oil and gas projects in Oman, and signed training and survey agreements in Australia with Curtin University, Murdoch University, and Xcalibur.