During his official visit to Perth in Western Australia, Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, met with David Michael, Minister of Mines and Petroleum in the Government of Western Australia to discuss expanding cooperation and leveraging Australian expertise to support the development of Egypt’s mining sector.
The meeting touched on recent progress in bilateral cooperation, including the visit of an Australian investor delegation to Cairo earlier this month. The two sides also discussed Egypt’s upcoming package of investment incentives aimed at attracting mid-tier Australian mining companies.
Badawi highlighted the steps taken in a short period to draw Australian investors toward Egypt’s mineral potential, benefiting from legislative reforms and newly introduced incentives. He further noted cooperation in the scientific field, particularly through agreements with Western Australia to implement specialized programs to develop human capital in Egypt’s mining sector.
In this respect, the Egyptian Mineral Resources and Mining Industries Authority (MRMIA) has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Murdoch University in Western Australia aimed at developing the practical and regulatory capabilities of Egypt’s mining professionals by transferring advanced Australian expertise through specialized training programs.
Both sides agreed to begin swiftly with a workshop on strategic regulatory and mining governance as the first program, and then continue developing future programs such as inspection operations and critical minerals and advanced ore systems. It is worth noting that additional programs may be offered in hybrid or e-learning formats to broaden accessibility, with opportunities to extend benefits to Egyptian universities as well.
Meanwhile, the meeting’s discussions also focused on harnessing Australian experience in creating a more attractive investment environment. This includes best practices in reducing risks, simplifying procedures, and enhancing value-added mineral processing projects through improved regulatory frameworks. Financing mechanisms for mining companies were also reviewed, including opportunities for cooperation with Australian financial institutions and international financing bodies, especially the World Bank.
As part of his visit, Badawi also met with executives from about 13 Australian mining companies. Badawi emphasized Egypt’s commitment to reducing investment risks for junior and mid-tier mining companies, highlighting the country’s rich geological resources, strong infrastructure, and diverse energy sources.
He explained that Egypt is rapidly implementing comprehensive reforms to attract and facilitate mining investment, improve competitiveness, and provide a business-friendly environment.
These reforms include updated mining legislation, transforming the Mineral Resources and Mining Industries Authority into an economic authority, adopting more attractive contractual models, and introducing incentives to simplify procedures for companies seeking to invest. The minister stressed that ongoing dialogue with investors has been crucial in shaping practical measures aligned with global investment standards.
For their part, the Australian company executives noted that attending in the mining conference in Perth last September, followed by their visit to Egypt, showed them tangible progress in reducing investment risks and implementing important reforms, which strengthens their confidence in the mining opportunities in Egypt that is rich in gold resources and many other mineral ores.
This visit builds on growing momentum in mining relations between the two countries. Badawi recently met with Australia’s Ambassador to discuss investment cooperation opportunities in mining and petroleum sector. In addition, a delegation from leading Australian mining companies (Marvel Gold, SRK, BDO, and Australia-Africa Minerals and Energy Group) explored some Egyptian mining sites in October such as the Sukari Gold Mine, Egypt’s largest gold mines, and Nubian Mines Company, along with visits to advanced mineral analysis laboratories and the Mineral Resources and Mining Authority.
