Egypt and Russia’s state-owned Rosatom have signed a nuclear fuel purchase order and a comprehensive cooperation agreement for the El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant. The signings occurred during a high-profile ceremony for the installation of the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) for Unit 1 of the plant.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and the Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the ceremony. The event coincided with Egypt’s Fifth Annual Nuclear Energy Day, commemorated yearly on November 19th to mark the 2015 intergovernmental agreement between Egypt and Russia to build and operate the nation’s first nuclear power plant.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, after meeting with Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev, emphasized the project’s broader developmental goals, according to a statement. Madbouly stated: “This project is not only for electricity generation; it is a foundation for achieving Egypt’s Vision 2030 and its developmental goals.” They also discussed training programs for Egyptian personnel and future operational cooperation.

The signing of the fuel order and cooperation agreement is a major step toward bringing the El-Dabaa plant online, positioning nuclear energy as a key component of Egypt’s long-term energy security strategy.