Egypt Mining Forum opens to drive investment and regional cooperation

The fifth edition of the Egypt Mining Forum opened in the New Administrative Capital, attended by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The event aims to showcase investment opportunities within Egypt and the Arabian-Nubian Shield, focusing on gold, copper, nickel, and rare earth elements.

Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi announced that since June, 119 companies—including 14 international firms from countries such as Australia, Canada, and China—have applied for mining sectors under a new open-block system. The government aims to increase the mining sector's contribution to the national GDP from less than 1% to approximately 6% by focusing on value-added manufacturing rather than just raw material exports.

On the sidelines of the forum, Minister Badawi held bilateral meetings with mining ministers from Kenya and Tanzania to discuss industrial localization and technical cooperation. Additionally, the African Mineral Regulatory Authorities Forum (AFMRA) was launched to foster institutional cooperation across the continent. The Minister also met with the World Bank's Managing Director for Metals and Mining, Namrata Thabar, to discuss financing mechanisms and capacity building for the Egyptian mining sector.