On 13th January 2026, Eng. Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, participated in the 10th Consultative Meeting of Arab Ministers of Mineral Resources, headed by Eng. Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in addition to mining ministers from Arab countries, and Eng. Adel Al-Saqr, Secretary-General of the Arab Organization for Industrial Development, Standardization, and Mining, the meeting organizer.
During his speech, the minister asserted on the significance of unifying Arab efforts in mineral exploration activities, and exchanging technical and professional expertise, contributing to the optimal and sustainable utilization of mineral resources across all Arab countries. He also praised the role of the Arab Organization for Industrial Development, Standardization, and Mining in supporting coordination and joint Arab action in the mining industry over the past years.
The Minister further affirmed that Egypt is on the right path toward developing its mining sector, through transforming The Egyptian Mineral Resources and Mining Industries Authority into an economic authority, which has provided greater flexibility and speed in procedures and facilitated the issuance of licenses for investors in mineral exploration and exploitation. He added that Egypt will launch its first comprehensive airborne survey for mineral exploration in 40 years during the first quarter of the current year, aiming to update geological data and build a massive database to accelerate the attraction of Arab and international mining investments.
Furthermore, He highlighted the importance of the proposals discussed during the meeting regarding the Arab Mining Reference Framework, which supports the establishment of a flexible, investment-friendly legislative environment. He also noted that Egypt has translated this concept into practice through the adoption of the unified mining license system, and called for linking the Arab Future Minerals Platform with Egypt's digital mining platform, which is set to be launched soon, to ensure smooth data flow and investment opportunities in Egypt among Arab investors.
The Minister of Petroleum Participates in the Arab Mining Ministers-2
The Minister emphasized that the global energy transition places a historic responsibility on the Arab region, stressing those Arab countries not only possess mineral resources, but also hold the keys to future mineral sovereignty. He explained that this can be achieved by moving beyond the extraction of critical and rare minerals toward localizing value-added industries based on these resources, and by adopting an integrated approach among Arab countries in the mining and mining-based industries sector, which represents a cornerstone of national and economic security. He also praised the Arab initiative to employ artificial intelligence in mining, noting that it helps reduce exploration costs and mitigate investment risks.
