Cairo, Jan 5 – Egypt and Qatar have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation in liquefied natural gas sales and imports, as Cairo seeks to secure supplies to meet rising energy demand.
Under the agreement, Qatari LNG shipments will be supplied to Egypt through the Ain Sokhna and Damietta ports, Egypt’s petroleum ministry said Sunday. QatarEnergy confirmed that the deal provides for up to 24 LNG cargoes to be delivered to Egypt during the upcoming summer period.
The pact comes as Egypt faces pressure from declining domestic gas production, complicating its ambition to position itself as a regional energy hub. Output began falling in late 2022, forcing the country to rely more heavily on imports from Israel and Cyprus, alongside spot LNG purchases.
According to data from the Joint Organizations Data Initiative, Egypt produced 3,635 million cubic meters of gas in October, up slightly from September but below the 3,851 million cubic meters recorded in October 2024.
Despite the decline, Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi said last week that Egypt remains committed to achieving self sufficiency in oil and gas over the medium term, according to a cabinet statement.
The LNG agreement with Qatar is expected to help stabilize supplies during peak summer demand while Egypt works to revive domestic production and diversify its import sources.
