Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly reaffirmed the government’s commitment to achieving petroleum self-sufficiency and positioning Egypt as a regional hub for rare-earth mineral processing, aiming to reduce the national import bill. This came during two meetings: the first with Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, followed by a joint meeting with Badawi and Kamel El‑Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, to discuss developments in the mining sector, according to Cabinet statements.
Badawi presented the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources’ (MoPMR) roadmap to bridge the gap between production and consumption. He highlighted that the Ministry is currently executing several refinery integration projects designed to maximize value by converting low-value petroleum products into high-quality fuel.
Reviewing performance indicators from July 2024 to June 2025, Badawi outlined the geographical distribution and daily operational capacities of national refineries. He emphasized that these refineries are critical to meeting domestic market demand for gasoline and diesel while significantly reducing foreign-currency expenditure on fuel imports.
Furthermore, Badawi highlighted Egypt’s growing appeal to international investors, citing a $2 billion proposal from China’s Xingfa Chemicals Group for investing in a three-phase project, planned for the Golden Triangle region. The project will focus on phosphate exploration, extraction, and the production of high-quality chemical derivatives.
Cabinet Spokesman Mohamed El-Homsany stated that the meetings reviewed a proposed Comprehensive National Strategy for Rare Earth Minerals. The strategy focuses on conducting extensive geological surveys and establishing partnerships to import minerals required for strategic industries.
The government is simultaneously working to maximize value through the Egyptian General Authority for Mineral Resources. Efforts are underway to overcome challenges facing national factories by analyzing current industrial conditions. Specifically, the Technology Center for Mining and Marble Industries is coordinating with the “Egyptian Company for Mining, Management, and Exploitation of Quarries and Saltworks” to resolve hurdles in the marble and granite sectors, aiming to boost exports of these strategic materials.
Simultaneously, the government is developing a Comprehensive National Strategy for Rare Earth Minerals. Madbouly noted that the strategy extends beyond mere extraction, aiming to position Egypt as a regional processing center for strategic minerals used in clean energy and advanced technologies.
To support this industrial surge, the government is integrating geological data into the “Mining Digital Platform” to facilitate transparent investment. The Prime Minister directed the expansion of training programmes to qualify local personnel and the implementation of unannounced safety inspections across all operational sites to ensure the highest standards of efficiency and environmental compliance.
