Cairo: Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli affirmed that the petroleum and mineral resources sector is given the highest priority by the government, to enhance the optimal utilization and exploitation of petroleum resources. He stressed the importance of expanding local production projects and providing attractive investment opportunities to achieve self-sufficiency and reduce the import bill for petroleum products, while giving due attention to efficiency and sustainability.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the Prime Minister's remarks came at a meeting, held on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at the government headquarters in the New Administrative Capital, with Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi attending, to follow up on a number of the ministry's work files. Badawi explained that his ministry's efforts in the current phase are focused on several key pillars, including meeting citizens' needs for petroleum products by concentrating on production and exploration activities; maximizing the value of petroleum resources through refineries and petrochemicals to generate added value; launching a strong start for the mining sector; and enhancing regional cooperation to attract investments to Egypt and the region.
This is in addition to creating an attractive investment environment, maintaining safety, improving energy efficiency, and reducing emissions. Badawi also touched on actual production and imports of gasoline and diesel during the period from July 2024 to June 2025, and the self-sufficiency ratio for 2024-2025.
While discussing the plan for refining activities for gasoline and diesel, Engineer Karim Badawi explained that work and planning are underway for a number of projects aimed at narrowing the gap between consumption and production and achieving self-sufficiency in gasoline and diesel.
Within the framework of the ministry's efforts to attract investment opportunities, the minister pointed out to the discussion session held with a delegation from the Chinese Xingfa Chemicals Group, which is considered one of the world's largest producers of phosphorus chemicals. He explained that the session highlighted investment opportunities in Egypt's mining sector and related industries, in light of the competitive advantages that make it a prominent investment destination at the regional level.
The Chinese delegation expressed strong interest in entering the Egyptian market and injecting investments, noting its intention to invest about $2 billion to implement a major project in the Golden Triangle area in three phases for industries based on phosphate ore, as well as exploration and extraction activities, in addition to producing a range of high-quality products and laying the foundations for a strategic partnership that would contribute to the transfer of advanced technical expertise and the localization of vital industries in the Egyptian economy. The delegation praised the significant and tangible development in Egypt's investment climate and the encouraging incentives offered by the Egyptian state.