Minister of Industry: Egypt Has Taken Serious Steps in Recent Years to Revitalize Mining
Khaled Hashem confirmed that Egypt has taken serious steps to revitalize mining, focusing on local manufacturing of minerals such as phosphate and manganese, and called for African integration in this sector.
Translated by Qiyas from الأنباء — Original source
Cairo – Nadeh Imam: Eng. Khaled Hashem, Minister of Industry, participated in the discussion session held on the sidelines of the fifth edition of the Egypt Mining Forum, titled “Aligning Mineral Resource Development with Industrial Growth.” The session featured Eng. Salah Al-Zuwari, Tunisia’s Minister of Equipment and Housing, who is also tasked with managing the Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Energy; and Jithro Chimbo, Head of the Sub-Committee for External Affairs at the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The session was moderated by journalist Ethne Trainor. Also in attendance were Eng. Mohammad Zadde, Assistant Minister of Industry for Strategic Industries, and Eng. Mohammad Samy, Assistant Minister for Strategic Affairs.
During the session, Eng. Khaled Hashem, Minister of Industry, emphasized that Egypt has taken serious steps in recent years to advance the mining sector and mineral-based industries, particularly with the launch of the Egyptian Industry Strategy, which identified key minerals as strategic industries. He noted that all currently extracted minerals in Egypt are being studied to assess their manufacturability and to enhance value chains for mineral processing, thereby increasing the added value of Egyptian minerals and transforming them into raw materials that serve the industrial sector.
The Minister stated that the government aims to develop integrated value chains for the mining sector, linking extraction, processing, refining, and manufacturing based on minerals. This will be achieved by aligning mining policies with industrial policies, thereby contributing to utilizing mineral resources to support industries with higher added value, strengthening local and regional supply chains, reducing reliance on imported inputs, and creating new export opportunities. He highlighted the government’s approach to treating mineral resources not merely as commodities, but as raw materials for integrated industries, aiming to link Egyptian industry with regional and global value chains.
Hashem explained that Egypt has taken steps to limit the export of raw phosphate, prioritizing local manufacturing and higher value-added processing industries, such as the production of phosphoric acid and phosphate fertilizers, instead of exporting raw phosphate.
The Minister clarified that Egyptian manganese ore is a key input for the iron and steel industry and heavy industries, serving as an important tool to maximize the benefits of mining wealth and significantly reduce the import bill for thermal materials and silicon and manganese alloys. He noted that cooperation has been established this year with two companies to process the ore locally, aiming to supply it in high concentrations, increase exports, create new jobs, and deepen local supply chains.
Regarding cooperation with African countries, Hashem emphasized that intra-African trade amounts to approximately $220 billion, a modest figure given the 54 African nations, the continent’s capabilities and resources, high demand, and import volumes from the rest of the world. He stressed the need for integration among African countries in the mining sector, where each country contributes its strengths in workforce training, expertise, skills, technology, mineral ores, and manufacturing capacities to produce mineral-based products that serve all African nations. This objective will be a key focus of the “Africa Alamein” Forum, which Egypt is scheduled to host early next month.
