Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi, inaugurated the fourth edition of the Egypt Mining Forum (EMF) in Cairo under the theme “Accelerating Commercial Discovery, Exploration, Extraction, and Value Creation.”
The high-profile opening was attended by ministers and officials from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Equatorial Guinea, alongside Egyptian MPs, governors, ambassadors, and representatives from international and local mining companies.
In his opening remarks, Minister Badawi highlighted Egypt’s ambition to unlock the full potential of its mining sector, leveraging the country’s rich mineral resources, strategic location, and developed infrastructure.
He announced the official transformation of the Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority (EMRA) into an economic authority named the “Mineral Resources and Mining Industries Authority.”
This move, backed by recently passed legislation, is aimed at enhancing operational independence, promoting transparency, and increasing the sector’s contribution to Egypt’s GDP to 5–6 per cent.
Badawi emphasized that Egypt sits atop significant reserves of gold, copper, silver, zinc, and other critical minerals.
He noted that in fiscal year 2024/2025, Egypt produced 640,000 ounces of gold and silver, a 14 per cent increase year-on-year, with sales reaching $1.5 billion, marking a 57 per cent surge.
The country also produced 26 million tonnes of mineral products, exported 1.4 million tonnes worth $52.5 million, and achieved $446 million in total revenues from mineral wealth—a 131 per cent increase.
The forum also witnessed the announcement of the 2024 mining bid round results for kaolinite and silica sand, which attracted 38 bids from 20 companies, mostly from the private sector.
The government also unveiled the launch of Egypt’s digital mining investment portal and finalized a $658 million industrial project to produce phosphoric acid in Abu Tartour.
Additionally, the government reached a final agreement on a model gold exploitation contract after nearly a year of negotiations with international companies, including Barrick Mining and AngloGold Ashanti.
