Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi, met in Cairo with Jamal Issa Al-Loughani, Secretary General of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), to discuss advancing Arab cooperation in the oil, gas, and energy sectors. Also present was Sameer Raslan, Undersecretary for Agreements and Exploration and Egypt’s representative to OAPEC’s Executive Council.
The meeting focused on enhancing Arab integration in the energy sector and reviewed OAPEC’s ongoing restructuring efforts, including new initiatives aimed at revitalizing the organization. These discussions follow resolutions adopted by OAPEC’s Ministerial Council last December to reinforce the organization’s regional and international presence amid evolving economic and energy challenges.
Minister Badawi reaffirmed Egypt’s strong support for these efforts, describing them as a “fresh start” for the organization. He emphasized the need to translate these measures into tangible opportunities for cooperation, particularly through joint ventures among institutions and companies to capitalize on the collective resources and expertise of member states.
He also outlined the core pillars of Egypt’s national petroleum strategy, which include increasing production, maximizing infrastructure use, developing the mining sector, diversifying energy sources, enhancing safety and efficiency, reducing emissions, and deepening regional cooperation. These elements, he noted, provide a solid foundation for future collaboration and new Arab energy partnerships.
As part of Egypt’s proposals, Badawi suggested establishing a ‘Center of Excellence’ within the restructured OAPEC to serve as a regional hub for knowledge-sharing and joint economic initiatives with measurable returns.
He also underscored the importance of a unified Arab strategy to market and transport surplus green energy to Europe, positioning Egypt as a strategic energy gateway. He cited the SUMED pipeline as a successful example of Arab energy integration, facilitating the movement of Arab crude through Egypt to Europe and serving regional storage needs. The Egypt-Saudi electricity interconnection project was also highlighted as a model of effective collaboration.
Al-Loughani reviewed the General Secretariat’s ongoing efforts—developed in cooperation with experts from member states—to implement practical restructuring steps and roll out a broad range of initiatives addressing the fast-changing energy landscape.
He called for maximizing the region’s shared strengths and resources, promoting future joint projects, and expanding cooperation in research and development through regional universities and academic institutions.
During his visit, Al-Loughani is holding a series of meetings with key stakeholders in Egypt’s energy sector, including the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) and the Egyptian Petrochemicals Holding Company (ECHEM). He is also engaging with Enppi on joint training programs supported by OAPEC and will visit the SUMED facilities.
