Egypt launches 2026 oil, gas bid round with 14 exploration areas

Egypt has opened its 2026 international bid round for oil and natural gas exploration, offering 14 areas to Egyptian and international companies as it seeks to attract investment and raise domestic production over the next five years.

Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Karim Badawy announced the bid round during a meeting with heads and executives of international companies operating in Egypt and investment partners, where officials reviewed production and exploration activities and discussed plans to increase output.

The round, which opened on Tuesday, includes eight areas offered by the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) in the Mediterranean, Nile Delta, and North Sinai. Bids must be submitted by noon Cairo time on 14 December 2026.

A further six areas offered by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) are located in the Gulf of Suez, Sinai, and the Western Desert, with bids due by noon Cairo time on 11 November 2026.

The areas are being offered digitally through the Egypt Upstream Gateway (EUG) under production-sharing agreements. The platform provides investors with technical data, responds to enquiries and facilitates the submission and evaluation of bids on technical and financial criteria.

Badawy said many of the areas are located near existing fields and infrastructure, including pipelines, processing facilities and export terminals, which could help reduce development costs and speed up the connection of discoveries to production.

The bid round covers a range of geological targets both offshore and onshore, offering existing international operators opportunities to expand their investments while also aiming to attract new oil and gas companies to Egypt, the minister added.

Subediting: Y.Yasser