During the Leadership & Development in Energy Conference taking place on the third and final day of EGYPES 2025, a fireside chat about ”Cultivating the Next Generation of Energy Leaders” was held between Moataz Atef, Undersecretary of Minister’s Technical Office and Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, and Eithne Treanor, a presenter at EGYPES 2025.

Atef discussed the future of the energy sector on both international and local levels, noting that the sector is undergoing a significant transformation due to recent global changes and the substantial impact of technological and digital advancements on the energy market worldwide.

He highlighted estimates that artificial intelligence (AI) could affect the amount of energy needed in the future, potentially increasing global energy consumption by 4% by 2026, equivalent to the energy demand of a country like Japan. He anticipated that this transformation would take a long time, which will require the provision of more energy.

Atef confirmed that Egypt is moving forward with its strategy to enhance the contribution of renewable energy to 42% of the energy mix by 2030, with 50% of Egypt’s energy production coming from renewable sources without neglecting traditional energy sources.

In response to a question about building competencies and leadership in Egypt’s energy sector, Emad noted that the ministry currently has a program to equip human resources in the energy sector with new technical skills, especially in roles that do not require deep technical expertise, such as control rooms where an engineer and a data entry specialist are needed.

He also mentioned that the ministry has launched an extensive program to enhance the skills of young people, resulting in the opening of two schools to provide young people with the technical skills needed in the energy and mining sector, in line with global developments. The first group of 150 graduates completed the program in November last year.

Atef added that over the past three years, there has been an increasing amount of data and knowledge sharing within the sector. The ministry has also established a control and command center in the New Administrative Capital that can aggregate data from various sites. He noted that Egypt is expanding the use of AI to improve work on various energy projects.

He also mentioned that the ministry has developed a strategy in the fields of health, safety, and environment (HSE), utilizing AI to simulate scenarios and measure some performance indicators.

In response to a question about partnerships with global oil and gas companies, Emad emphasized the ministry’s commitment to expanding all types of partnerships with global companies and institutions to develop the skills of Egyptian workforces.

He noted that in this context, about 20 students recently graduated from BP’s training school, which offers a one-year program aimed at equipping students with leadership and practical training skills.

He pointed out that the previous challenge was the lack of clarity in responsibilities and the uncertainty of the professional future for a large group of employees, which led the ministry to assign young people as assistants to the heads of the EGPC and holding companies to gain more leadership experience.

The young people attend general assemblies of companies and present their ideas and plans regarding the results of their work, which has helped the initiative succeed in giving middle management a comprehensive understanding of the sector.