Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has ordered the acceleration of Egypt's Universal Health Insurance (UHI) system across all regions, targeting the inclusion of five provinces in its second phase, the cabinet said in a statement on Monday. During a meeting in the New Administrative Capital, Madbouly stated that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has directed the government to quicken the pace of the rollout. The second phase will cover the provinces of Minya, Matrouh, Damietta, Kafr El-Sheikh, and North Sinai, with Alexandria also under consideration for inclusion. "The state places the Universal Health Insurance system at the top of its priorities," Madbouly said, noting that the expansion depends on ensuring the financial sustainability of the system. He requested that the Minister of Finance provide additional or exceptional resources for both the UHI system and the "Haya Karima" (Decent Life) initiative. Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar presented a detailed plan for the second phase, which is expected to serve 13 million beneficiaries. The infrastructure plan includes 69 hospitals with a total of 11,427 beds and 669 healthcare units and primary care centres. Of these units, 516 are scheduled for implementation under the second phase of the Decent Life initiative. Abdel Ghaffar noted that the private sector is expected to provide between 30% and 40% of the total hospital beds. In Minya alone, 110 facilities have been inspected, while 80 facilities were reviewed in North Sinai and 40 in Matrouh. Ihab Abu Aish, Vice Chairman of the UHI Authority, reported that as of November 30, 2025, the system had reached 5.2 million beneficiaries across six provinces in its first phase, with an average registration rate of 81.7%. Private sector providers currently constitute 31% of the service network. Madbouly concluded the meeting by directing an integrated study of the system through 2030, including an updated actuarial analysis to ensure long-term service quality. In a separate meeting, Madbouly reviewed efforts to attract investment to the Golden Triangle Economic Zone. He urged continued coordination between the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and the Golden Triangle Authority to promote "promising investment opportunities" to international companies, particularly in the mining and petroleum sectors. Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi stated that the ministry will prepare a comprehensive inventory of investment opportunities aimed at enhancing the value-added potential of phosphate and other mineral ores. Yasser Ramadan, Chairman of the Egyptian General Authority for Mineral Resources, reported that the Golden Triangle region contains approximately 95 mineral occurrences, representing about 7.6% of Egypt's total mineral wealth. He highlighted the authority's role in regulating exploration and mining operations to ensure the optimal exploitation of these resources.
