The meeting was attended by Engineer Salah Abdel Karim, CEO
of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), along with his deputies
for agreements and exploration. Also in attendance were Geologist Yasser
Ramadan, Chairman of the Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority; Dr. Mohamed
El-Bagoury, Head of the Ministry’s Central Legal Department; Major General
Pilot Ihab Abdel Maqsoud, Chairman of Petroleum Air Services (PAS); and members
of the Ministry’s Mineral Resources team.
The Minister stressed the growing global interest in Egypt’s
mining sector, attributing it to recent structural and regulatory reforms. He
highlighted the country’s competitive advantages, including strong
infrastructure encompassing ports, airports, road networks, and export
terminals, as well as the availability of energy through increased domestic
production and imports. He also pointed to the updated legislative and
regulatory framework, which includes the transformation of the Mineral
Resources Authority into an economic entity with the support of the political
leadership, and the modernization of investment agreement systems in line with
international best practices.
Badawi underscored the importance of aerial and seismic
surveys in providing accurate data to help identify promising investment
opportunities in the mining sector. He stressed the need to benefit from
international experience, referring to case studies presented by the
participating companies on their global operations in aerial exploration and
geological data analysis.
He directed the companies to prepare a comprehensive and
practical plan that includes short, medium, and long-term phases, as well as
recommendations on priority areas for aerial survey activities.