Egypt will officially announce the results of its latest mining tender at the Egypt Mining Forum 2026, scheduled for September 28-29, Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Karim Badawi said.
The tender offered 335 blocks covering around 650 square kilometers, including 261 blocks for gold exploration and 74 blocks for other mineral resources such as phosphate and kaolin, Badawi said at a press conference Thursday.
The latest tender was conducted under Egypt’s digital open-blocks system through the official website of the Egyptian Mineral Resources and Mining Industries Authority, allowing investors to select target areas electronically and access technical data packages before submitting bids.
More than 225 companies withdrew tender documents and reviewed the available technical data ahead of submitting competitive offers, reflecting strong investor interest in the offering, Badawi said.
Egypt aims to increase the domestic value added from its mineral resources and attract new local and foreign investment, as it seeks to raise mining’s contribution to GDP from around 1% currently to 5%-6% over the coming years.
The Petroleum Ministry launched the tender in July through the authority’s website, offering the 335 blocks across the total 650-square-kilometer area.
Badawi said the ministry’s strategy is increasingly focused on maximizing the economic returns from mineral resources and developing higher-value products, particularly phosphate, rather than exporting it in raw form.
Egypt is the world’s third-largest phosphate producer, while the government is developing a $650 million phosphoric acid production project in Abu Tartour Plateau. The project is expected to begin actual production in 2028.
Separately, Badawi said plans covering July 2024 through August 2026 helped raise refinery operating rates to more than 80%, supporting domestic demand for petroleum products and reducing the import bill.
He added that Egypt did not resort to electricity load shedding during the summers of 2025 and 2026, pointing to improved stability of the national power grid for consumers and investors.