Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi discussed on Monday, July 27, 2026, with Deng Zhaojing, General Manager of China National Chemical Engineering Group (CNCEC), and his accompanying delegation ways to accelerate the implementation of several strategic projects being carried out by the Chinese group as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.
The projects include the New Alamein soda ash plant and the Red Sea National Petrochemicals complex in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, as part of Egypt's efforts to localize value-added industries and strengthen investment cooperation with China. Badawi said Egyptian-Chinese relations are witnessing rapid growth across various fields, noting that the petroleum and mining sector is one of the main pillars of bilateral cooperation through strategic projects backed by the political leadership.
He said these projects contribute to deepening local manufacturing, reducing import dependence and creating new export opportunities. The minister stressed the importance of expediting work on the soda ash project, describing it as strategically significant for localizing the production of a commodity that is currently imported.
He also underscored the need to increase the project's local content to maximize added value and support domestic industry. He added that the Red Sea National Petrochemicals complex is among the largest strategic projects under preparation and will produce high-value petroleum and petrochemical products, capitalizing on Egypt's strategic location and advanced infrastructure to strengthen its position as a regional hub for petroleum and petrochemical trade.
For his part, the CNCEC General Manager said that the close ties between Egypt and China provide a solid foundation for expanding joint projects. He noted that the group is implementing and investing in several key projects in Egypt, including the soda ash plant, the Red Sea petrochemicals complex, metallic silicon and bioethanol projects.
He added that CNCEC, which has operated in Egypt for nearly 20 years, regards the country as one of its key strategic markets. He reaffirmed the group's commitment to the timetable for the soda ash project while working to accelerate implementation and increase reliance on local content in line with the Ministry of Petroleum's vision.
Deng also invited Badawi to visit the group's headquarters in Beijing to discuss future cooperation opportunities and explore new investment projects. The Inauguration of the State Strategic Command Headquarters “The Octagon” in the New Capital The Inauguration of the State Strategic Command Headquarters “The Octagon” in the New Capital