Eng. Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, participated in the Strategic Mining Investors Roundtable held on the sidelines of Africa Down Under Conference in Perth, Australia, in the presence of Geo. Yasser Ramadan, Chairman of the Mineral Resources and Mining Industries Authority (MRMIA), as well as a number of senior investors, experts and executives from Australian mining companies.
The Minister reviewed the key developments and reforms taking place in Egypt’s mining sector and the new opportunities for global investment, emphasizing that Egypt is working to build a more competitive and flexible investment environment that enhances the sector’s ability to attract capital, expertise and advanced technologies and translate promising geological potential into productive projects.
He pointed out that the implementation of the Open Block System represents a major step forward in the mining investment framework, allowing companies to submit applications for exploration opportunities in available blocks throughout the period during which they remain open, without being committed to a single closing date for bidding rounds. This gives investors greater flexibility in making investment decisions, facilitates application and allocation procedures, and accelerates the transition from interest in an opportunity to the commencement of exploration activities.
The Minister asserted that Egypt seeks to broaden the investor base in the mining sector and attract Australian exploration companies to leverage their extensive experience in incorporating and developing mining companies, financing exploration activities, managing risks, and transforming discoveries into productive projects.
Participants discussed opportunities to leverage the Australian model for building junior mining companies by securing promising areas at an early stage, deploying advanced exploration and resource-definition technologies, and attracting the capital needed to gradually develop projects from discovery through to production.
They also discussed ways to facilitate the entry of Australian capital into the Egyptian market, investors’ needs for geological data and information, investment frameworks and regulations, and the scale and nature of available opportunities. They also explored investment opportunities in critical and strategic minerals, broadening the scope of cooperation between both sides beyond gold.
They also reviewed number of views and proposals aimed at strengthening engagement between Egypt’s mining sector and the Australian mining community and benefiting from advanced expertise and technologies in exploration and the development of mineral resources.
Participants pointed out that Egypt Mining Forum 2026, scheduled to take place on September 28–29, is a key platform for continuing dialogue with international investors, showcasing investment opportunities available in Egypt, and turning investor interest into tangible partnerships and projects in the mining sector.
The roundtable was attended by Eng. Khaled Mortagy, Chairman of Capital Limited, along with a number of senior executives from Australian mining companies, as well as leading investors and experts.
