Photo Credit: WAM
Dubai, UAE — August 2026 — Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi, met with Abdulla Attia Al-Mesbah, CEO of ADNOC Drilling, to discuss opportunities for strategic partnerships between the company and Egypt’s petroleum sector, including participation in an expanded program to drill onshore and offshore wells.
According to the Emirates News Agency, Badawi said that increasing drilling activity is a central pillar of the Ministry of Petroleum’s plan for the next five years, part of a broader strategy to maximize domestic production of crude oil and natural gas through intensified exploration, faster development of discoveries, higher well-drilling rates, and the adoption of the latest technologies and technical solutions.
He noted that Egypt’s petroleum sector offers promising opportunities and an ambitious drilling and development program, opening the door to new partnerships with global and regional companies specializing in drilling services, particularly those with advanced technological capabilities and extensive experience in large-scale drilling programs.
The minister praised ADNOC Drilling’s technical and technological capabilities and its advanced experience in well-drilling operations, as well as its progress in deploying technology and innovation to improve drilling and production efficiency, stressing the importance of drawing on this expertise to support the plans of Egypt’s petroleum sector.
He also praised the broader capabilities of the ADNOC Group, led by Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNOC, across various areas of the oil and energy industry. Badawi said strengthening Egyptian-Emirati cooperation in petroleum and energy represents an extension of the strategic relationship between the two countries and opens new avenues for partnership and investment.
Badawi added that improvements in Egypt’s petroleum investment climate, along with steps taken to build trust with investment partners, provide a strong foundation for a new phase of investment and increased exploration, development, and production activity.
For his part, Al-Mesbah affirmed ADNOC Drilling’s interest in strengthening its presence in the Egyptian market and forming effective partnerships with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) and its affiliated companies, drawing on the substantial capabilities of Egypt’s petroleum sector.
He praised the Ministry of Petroleum’s clear and ambitious vision to increase well-drilling activity over the next five years, affirming the company’s interest in participating in this program and leveraging its technical and technological expertise to support Egypt’s production growth goals.
Al-Mesbah also highlighted the importance of cooperation with Egyptian Drilling Company, citing its long history and accumulated experience in drilling oil and gas wells both in Egypt and abroad. He said specialized technical meetings would be held in the coming period to explore cooperation opportunities between the two sides and identify areas of participation in the targeted drilling program.
The meeting reflects the Ministry of Petroleum’s broader push to expand its base of partnerships with global and regional companies specializing in drilling activities and petroleum services, and to secure the capabilities, equipment, and technologies needed to implement an expanding drilling program in the coming years — supporting faster development of petroleum resources and higher domestic production.
The Egyptian side was represented at the meeting by Salah Abdel Karim, CEO of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation, and Mahmoud Nagy, Deputy Minister of Petroleum for Safety, Environment, Energy Efficiency and Climate, and official spokesperson for the ministry. ADNOC Drilling was represented by Ahmed Al-Badwaihi, Vice President of Business Development.
