Investors and mining executives on the second day of the Egypt Mining Forum said that recent government reforms are improving the country’s appeal as a mining destination, citing a better risk-reward balance and increasing openness to foreign investment.
Speaking at one of the panel discussions on the second day of the forum, Mostafa Talaat, CEO of Egypt-based junior exploration firm ANKH Resources, praised the Cabinet’s efforts to foster transparency and open dialogue, saying these measures are encouraging companies to grow.
“Transparency, an open dialogue, and global calls for investment, along with a spirit of working hand in hand, are all new efforts by the current Cabinet that motivate us to expand our operations,” he noted.
The panel, titled ‘Risk, Reward, and Reality: How Mining Companies and Investors Evaluate Global Opportunities’ focused on how companies assess jurisdictions based on geological potential, political and regulatory stability, financial risk, and investor-friendly policy frameworks.
Talaat’s remarks reflected a wider sentiment shared among panellists: Egypt is positioning itself as a more competitive mining jurisdiction, especially for junior and mid-tier companies evaluating global opportunities.
The panel also featured Khathutshelo Mapasa, Head of Africa at Appian Capital Advisory LLP; Sahit Muja, Chairman and CEO of Albanian Minerals; Al Fabbro, Chairman and CEO of Red Sea Resources; and Mohamed Elahmady, Vice President of Mediterranean Energy Partners.
While panelists agreed that risk is inevitable in the mining industry, they stressed that governments that invest in infrastructure, reduce permitting delays, and maintain regulatory consistency are far more likely to attract long-term capital.
Mapasa pointed to permitting timelines as a key challenge. “For a private firm, we’ve got a very finite timeline to deploy the capital, create value, and then exit,” he said. “Recently, we decided to disinvest from a very prospective, high-grade zinc deposit just because the permitting timeline is not acceptable to our investment.”
For his part, Muja emphasized Egypt’s untapped mineral wealth beyond precious metals. “I see Egypt as a great potential; not just in gold and platinum, but also in industrial minerals,” he said. “This land has enough minerals to agro-mine and supply a great amount to the world.”
