Unlocking Egypt and the Arabian Nubian Shield’s Exploration Potential

Egypt’s Next Chapter in Mineral Exploration and Investment

Egypt began its mining modernisation programme in 2018 to make the sector more attractive to exploration and mining companies. This next chapter is being shaped by the Model Mining Exploitation Agreement framework, approved by parliament in 2025, which introduced fiscal terms designed to balance government revenue with investor returns. With a modern mining code in place, Egypt is now reinforcing its exploration push through targeted investment incentives, including reduced rental fees for exploration licences, VAT and customs exemptions on equipment and services, flexible multi-ore licensing, new reconnaissance licences to support junior explorers, and a one-stop permitting mechanism to accelerate project timelines.

Attendee Insights:

The keynote speech will set the strategic direction for the Forum by outlining the government’s vision for mineral exploration and investment, highlighting the policy and fiscal reforms underway, and showcasing the key initiatives now in place as part of this next chapter.

Advancing Cross Border Collaboration to Unlock the Arabian Nubian Shield’s Mineral Wealth

The Arabian Nubian Shield is one of the world’s oldest and geologically rich regions, stretching across Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Jordan. It is widely recognised as the world’s next big exploration target, hosting vast potential for gold and other mineral systems, yet remaining significantly underexplored by modern standards. As mineral belts and structures extend across national borders, unlocking the full value of the Shield depends on stronger cross-border collaboration through shared geological data, aligned regulations, improved infrastructure connectivity, and coordinated exploration strategies that allow discoveries in one jurisdiction to inform and accelerate exploration across the region.

Attendee Insights:

A focus panel featuring ministers from the Arabian Nubian Shield exploring how regional cooperation, aligned policies, and shared exploration strategies are unlocking the full mineral potential of the Shield and strengthening its global investment appeal.

Shaping the Future of Egypt’s Mining and Exploration Sector

With Sukari as a high-profile proof point for large-scale mining in the Eastern Desert, Egypt is now focused on building a broader pipeline of commercial discoveries. This includes improving access to high-quality data, accelerating field activity, strengthening technical standards, and creating a more transparent path from discovery to mine development, while also laying the groundwork for downstream value addition. Over the next few years, success will be measured through tangible outcomes, including a growing number of junior mining companies undertaking exploration, more service providers establishing operations in Egypt, an increase in projects progressing to credible resource statements, and faster, more predictable licensing and permitting timelines.

Attendee Insights:

This panel brings global CEOs to assess how far Egypt’s mining sector has progressed and what must happen next to build a sustainable pipeline of commercial discoveries and development-ready projects.

Evaluating the opportunities for seabed mining in the red sea and wider region

The Red Sea seabed is believed to host commercially viable concentrations of valuable metals, including copper, zinc, gold, and silver, although the extent, grade, and economic recoverability of these resources are still being assessed and will require further scientific study and carefully managed exploration. While research has highlighted clear potential, commercial activity remains limited, leaving the Red Sea at an early exploratory stage compared with established onshore mining activities in the wider region. As a result, offshore mineral development is set to bring a distinct set of challenges, including complex permitting frameworks, limited baseline environmental data, and the need for advanced surveying, monitoring, and marine technologies.

Attendee Insights:

This session sets the context for understanding what is currently known about seabed mineral potential in the Red Sea, how regional and international governance is evolving, and what considerations must be weighed before moving from exploration toward any form of commercial development.

Building Downstream Value Chains to Maximise Mineral Wealth

The development of downstream industries is seen as an important next step for mining countries seeking to maximise the economic impact of their mineral resources. Rather than focusing solely on extraction and export of raw materials, downstream development aims to retain more value in-country through processing, refining, manufacturing, and associated services. For mineral-rich countries, thriving downstream value chains support job creation, skills development, improved export capabilities, reduced reliance on imports and stronger industrial linkages across the economy. However, downstream facilities are capital intensive and require long-term certainty on feedstock supply, pricing, and market access, which can be difficult to secure in jurisdictions where exploration pipelines are still developing.

Attendee Insights:

This session explores the policies and infrastructure needed to support downstream development, and how government, industry, and investors are working together to build value chains that maximise mineral wealth while remaining competitive in global markets.