Egypt Mining Forum 2026 is set to open in Cairo on September 28 as the largest edition in the event’s history, bringing together more than 6,000 attendees from over 50 countries, alongside government ministers, global mining executives, investors and technology leaders.
Held under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and hosted by Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources with support from MRMIA, the fifth edition will feature more than 500 conference delegates, 100 speakers, over 100 exhibiting companies and more than 30 strategic and technical sessions.
The growing international participation comes as Egypt advances reforms designed to attract investment into its underexplored mineral resources and develop projects and downstream industries, supporting the country’s ambition for mining to contribute 6% of national GDP.
A Platform for Investment and Industry
Egypt Mining Forum 2026 is designed as a working platform for government-to-government dialogue, government-to-business engagement, bilateral meetings and investor discussions covering licences, projects, financing, joint ventures, processing and technology procurement.
Egypt’s mining modernisation programme is changing the framework for market entry and long-term investment through measures including the Model Mining Exploitation Agreement, reduced rental fees for exploration licences, VAT and customs exemptions on equipment and services, flexible multi-commodity licensing, new reconnaissance licences for junior explorers and a one-stop permitting mechanism.
The country’s investment proposition is built around four official pillars: rich geology, developed infrastructure, reliable energy and modern laws.
Egypt reports 3.1 billion tonnes of phosphate resources, 660 million tonnes of iron oxide deposits and 6.1 billion tonnes of kaolinitic sand. These resources are supported by 18 commercial ports, two economic zones, a 174,000-kilometre road network and 229 TWh of power supply. Major assets include Sukari, Abu Tartour, the Golden Triangle and the Black Sands complex.
A nationwide airborne mineral survey, the first in more than four decades, is also expected to strengthen geological data, improve prospective targeting and reduce early-stage exploration risks across Egypt’s underexplored position within the mineral-rich Arabian-Nubian Shield.
Building a More Integrated Mining Sector
Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, H.E. Eng. Karim Badawi, said the country aims to turn its mineral potential into investment, discoveries, operating mines and higher-value industries, supporting the ambition for mining to contribute 6% of national GDP.
The minister said Egypt is working to build an integrated mining sector in which geology, infrastructure, energy and modern regulation provide the foundations for investment, while exploration, project development, processing and manufacturing reinforce one another.
Yasser Ramadan, Chairman of the Mineral Resources & Mining Industries Authority, said investment decisions depend on credible data, transparent licensing and confidence in the process from exploration through development.
He also highlighted the importance of moving beyond the export of raw minerals toward integrated, high-value-added industrial projects. According to Ramadan, greater emphasis on downstream processing aims to increase the value generated from Egypt’s mineral resources and raise the mining sector’s contribution to national GDP to as much as 6%.
Global Mining Leaders Gather in Cairo
Under the theme “Unlocking Egypt and the Arabian Nubian Shield’s Exploration Potential,” the forum will bring together mining and resources ministers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Tanzania and Nigeria with Egyptian government and industry leaders.
Confirmed participants include AngloGold Ashanti CEO Alberto Calderon, In2Metals Chairman Naguib Sawiris, International Council on Mining and Metals President and CEO Rohitesh Dhawan, and Elsewedy Electric President and CEO Ahmed Elsewedy.
The programme will also include representatives from the World Bank Group, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, African Export-Import Bank, Trafigura, Xcalibur Smart Mapping and Metso.
Other confirmed participants include ministers and senior officials from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Tanzania, Nigeria and Egypt, as well as representatives of the International Seabed Authority, Africa Minerals Strategy Group, Esan Eczacıbaşı and Saudi Gold Refinery.
The multi-track programme will address licensing, fiscal stability, geological risk, project finance, responsible sourcing, downstream competitiveness, exploration technologies and mine development through strategic and technical conferences.
Alongside the conference programme, bilateral meetings and an exhibition featuring more than 100 companies will connect governments, investors and operators with capital, technical expertise and potential partnerships.
Egypt Mining Forum 2026 will take place on September 28–29, 2026, at The St. Regis New Capital in Cairo.
