Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi will inaugurate the Mediterranean Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition (MOC 2026) at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina on Tuesday. The event will run through Oct. 22 under the theme “Egypt: A Key Pillar in Ensuring Energy Security in the Mediterranean.” The conference will bring together Cypriot Energy Minister Michael Damianos, Alexandria Governor Ayman Attia, senior executives from major international energy companies operating in the Mediterranean, heads of petroleum sector companies, and a group of experts and specialists.
The opening ceremony will feature keynote speeches by Badawi and his Cypriot counterpart, along with remarks by executives from international energy companies Chevron, Eni and TotalEnergies, as well as the Greek ambassador to Cairo. The event will also see the signing of new agreements with Chevron in the presence of the two ministers, as part of efforts to accelerate the connection of Cyprus' Aphrodite natural gas field to Egypt's infrastructure.
The move is expected to mark a new step in regional gas cooperation and strengthen Egypt's position as a regional hub for receiving, trading and re-exporting gas to global markets. Badawi and Damianos will also take part in a discussion session on regional energy cooperation, focusing on the importance of integration among Eastern Mediterranean countries, developing mechanisms to exploit gas resources, strengthening supply security and making use of existing regional infrastructure.
Conference sessions will feature the heads of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), South Valley Egyptian Petroleum Holding Company (GANOPE) and the Egyptian Petrochemicals Holding Company (ECHEM), alongside senior executives from leading international energy companies.
Discussions will cover developments in the oil and gas industry, investment opportunities and ways to accelerate exploration and production activities in the Mediterranean. The two ministers will also inaugurate the accompanying exhibition, which will feature major Egyptian and international companies operating in the Mediterranean and provide a platform for business networking and showcasing the latest technologies and solutions in exploration, production and petroleum industries.
Mohamed Radwan, South Valley Egyptian Petroleum Holding Company's Vice President for Agreements and Exploration and head of the Egypt Upstream Gateway (EUG) and Chairman of the Conference's Organizing Committee, said MOC 2026, held under the auspices of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, would focus on three main priorities: accelerating exploration and production in the Mediterranean, using advanced technologies and digital transformation to reduce risks and costs, and boosting investment and partnerships to attract new companies to gas exploration activities in the region.
The priorities align with the ministry's strategy under Badawi to accelerate exploration, shorten the time needed to bring discoveries into production and create an attractive investment climate characterized by transparency and access to geological and technical data, Radwan said.
All measures would support investors' decisions and improve prospects for new investment in exploration and production, he added. Radwan said the conference would bring together technical and scientific expertise and investment opportunities through discussions on the application of modern technologies and digital transformation in field operations.
It would also facilitate the exchange of expertise among government representatives, international oil companies, technology firms, experts and young professionals to improve the performance and efficiency of the oil and gas industry.