Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, met with the Mineral Resources and Mining Industries Authority (MRMIA) Board of Directors, chaired by Yasser Ramadan, to outline operational modernization initiatives aimed at boosting Egypt’s position in global mining indices.

The discussions focused on expanding the open-area licensing model, which marks a shift in the management and development of Egypt’s mineral resources, according to a statement by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR).

The system allows investors to apply for exploration and exploitation licenses at any time without fixed bid round deadlines, increasing investment flexibility, accelerating allocation procedures, and encouraging new capital inflows into the sector.

MRMIA has already begun implementing the system by launching a package of promising mining blocks on June 10. Once the first investment bid is submitted for any block, a competitive bidding period of 30 days is opened, while all other blocks remain continuously available to investors, ensuring a steady pipeline of investment opportunities and broader market participation, said MRMIA Chairman Yasser Ramadan.

Through these flexible regulatory frameworks, the state intends to establish Egypt as a regional hub for value-added mineral processing, aggressively lifting the mining industry’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) from its current level of under 1% to between 5% and 6% over the coming years.

During the meeting, Badawi noted that mining remains one of the ministry’s top priorities as Egypt seeks to diversify its economy and maximize the value of its natural resources. He added that offering investment areas under the open-area system for gold and associated minerals, phosphate, talc, kaolin, and other mineral resources reflects the transformation underway in the mining sector and underscores Egypt’s commitment to providing a more flexible, transparent, and efficient investment environment.

The meeting also reviewed plans to improve the performance of Egypt’s mining sector at both regional and international levels through enhancements to the investment environment, updates to geological and mining databases, improved investor services, and streamlined procedures to strengthen the sector’s competitiveness and attract high-value investments.

In May, MRMIA and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to modernize the nation’s mining regulatory framework. The bilateral agreement establishes a technical cooperation framework to align domestic legal structures and governance models with global best practices.