The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources announced on May 24, 2026, that it has signed an agreement with the Spanish company Xcalibur to conduct a comprehensive aerial survey, the first of its kind in 42 years, to explore Egypt’s mineral resources.
In a statement, the ministry said Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi initialed the agreement to implement the geophysical survey between the Mineral Resources and Mining Industries Authority and Spanish company Xcalibur, in cooperation with the Nuclear Materials Authority and Drone Tech, an Egyptian drone services provider.
The survey is expected to create a modern, high-resolution database of mineral ores, reducing exploration costs and risks while giving Egyptian and international companies greater confidence to invest in the mining sector, the statement said.
Egypt’s mineral resources sector has faced criticism over its limited contribution to GDP, which does not exceed around 1%, while private-sector gold production experiments are concentrated mainly in the Sukari mine.
In November 2025, the petroleum minister pledged before 30 Australian companies to reduce the costs of preliminary exploration for mining activity, which companies view as a gamble that may not ultimately yield a commercial discovery. He also emphasized the need to consolidate licensing authorities as much as possible and reduce licensing costs.
According to the statement, Yasser Ramadan, head of the Mineral Resources and Mining Industries Authority, said that the survey will cover six geographical regions across the country, including the southern and northern parts of the Eastern Desert, the Sinai Peninsula, the northern and southern parts of the Western Desert, as well as Bahariya Oasis and Abu Tartour in the New Valley.
He added that the survey will be carried out by Xcalibur, in cooperation with the Nuclear Materials Authority, to benefit from its expertise in verifying the results, with the authority’s aircraft taking part in implementing the survey in cooperation with Drone Tech.
According to the statement, Xcalibur has advanced expertise in collecting, integrating, and analyzing geophysical data in support of exploration work and the preparation of precise analytical maps. The company has carried out more than 1,400 airborne survey projects for governments and mining authorities across six continents.
