Egypt is pushing ahead with a major phosphate industries complex in Ain Sokhna as part of a drive to expand value‐added mining, Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi said after meeting Elsewedy Electric CEO Ahmed El Sewedy on Thursday. The talks followed a memorandum of understanding signed between the Mineral Resources and Mining Industries Authority (MRMIA)- formerly EMRA and Elsewedy Capital aimed at maximising the economic value of Egypt's phosphate resources. Minister Badawy said the project has the backing of President Abdel Fattah El‐Sisi and forms part of a wider strategy to expand value‐added mining industries. The project will process phosphate ore from the Sebaea mines in the Nile Valley into higher‐value products including phosphoric acid and phosphate fertilisers for domestic and export markets. The minister urged both sides to hold regular progress meetings to ensure the complex is delivered on schedule, adding that transforming MRMIA into an economic authority has strengthened its ability to form partnerships and attract investment. El Sewedy called the complex "a genuine breakthrough" for Egypt's phosphate sector, saying technical and legal preparations are under way, alongside site visits, to start implementation as soon as possible. Egypt sees the complex as a key step towards expanding its downstream mineral industries and boosting exports, supported by investor confidence in the mining sector, which Minister Badawy said was evident at this year's Egypt Mining Forum. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
