Egypt has completed 90 per cent of the planned natural gas delivery works for the first phase of the “Decent Life” (Haya Karima) presidential initiative, Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi said on Tuesday.
During a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly in the New Administrative Capital to review ministry operations, Badawi stated that the government is currently accelerating the remaining projects within the rural development initiative to ensure completion according to the established schedule.
The minister also briefed the Prime Minister on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Egypt and Lebanon at the Lebanese Cabinet headquarters. The agreement aims to supply Lebanon’s Deir Ammar power station with natural gas for electricity generation.
Badawi said the deal aligns with Egypt’s objective to strengthen its role as a regional hub for natural gas trade by receiving and re-exporting gas. Under the terms of the MoU, Egypt will transfer technical expertise in gas exploration, extraction, transport, and distribution for industrial, domestic, and power generation use. Joint working groups have been formed between the petroleum and energy ministries of both countries to coordinate the transfer of Egyptian expertise.
Regarding domestic operations, Badawi confirmed that the ministry remains committed to delivery schedules for residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. He noted that the ministry is maintaining safety awareness campaigns and regular monitoring of natural gas networks to ensure public safety.
To bolster national production, the Petroleum Minister highlighted the signing of several agreements with leading international companies. He said the ministry is working at an accelerated pace to establish mechanisms for developing untapped natural gas discoveries and bringing them into production, while employing modern technologies to maximise output from existing fields.
The meeting also addressed the ministry’s role in community development. Badawi cited the Western Desert Petroleum Company’s (WEPCO) renovation of the Sidi Abdel Rahman Language School in Matrouh Governorate. The facility recently received the international “EDGE” certificate for green buildings, the minister added.
