Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Eng. Tarek El Molla met with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar Alkhorayef, to discuss ways to improve their countries’ mutual mining cooperation.
Eng. Alaa Khashab, Deputy Minister for Mineral Resources Affairs, joined by Eng. Alaa Hagar, Undersecretary of the Minister for Technical Affairs, attended the meeting.
El Molla welcomed the Saudi minister at the beginning of the conference, applauding his eagerness to accept the invitation to the forum and reiterating the excellent bilateral relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia at all levels. He also emphasized how the mining industry gives a chance for Egypt and Saudi Arabia to further integrate, cooperate, and exchange experiences.
The two ministers also agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for cooperative cooperation between the mining industries of their respective nations, as preparations are underway for this to happen soon and serve as a hub for further collaboration in such a potential area.
Moreover, El Molla brought up the reforms the Egyptian mining industry has undergone during the discussion, noting that these are positive measures toward stepping up its operations and reiterating the ministry’s desire to maximize the value gained from ore mining by boosting ore supplies’ processing.
For his part, Saudi Minister Bandar Alkhorayef emphasized the integration possibilities between Saudi Arabia and Egypt in the mining sector, which have recently seen excellent improvements in both nations. Alkhorayef noted that due to the advancement made in this industry, Egypt has recently been successful in luring investors to its mining operations. He also emphasized the significance of the momentum brought about by mining activity.
The Saudi minister invited Eng. Tarek El Molla to the conference in Riyadh in January of next year during the meeting. El Molla, for his part, accepted the offer and stated that the conference will be a chance to discuss the experiences of Egyptian businesses engaged in this industry.
