Egypt and Qatar signed an agreement on Sunday to increase liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies and expand energy co-operation, as Cairo seeks to diversify energy sources.
Egypt is addressing shrinking domestic gas reserves and rising power demand. The agreement with Doha comes weeks after a separate $35 billion long‑term gas deal with Israel.
Under the latest move, Qatari LNG will be supplied to Egypt, with energy co-operation on infrastructure, storage, and shipping expanded, both governments said.
Cairo is set to receive 24 LNG deliveries through the summer, when energy demand typically peaks.
Qatar, the world’s largest LNG exporter after the US, has long been a key energy partner of Egypt’s. Beyond commercial ties, Doha has played a political role in Cairo, supporting development projects and mediating regional conflicts, including Israel’s war on Gaza.
The LNG deal highlights Qatar’s persistent influence in Egypt’s energy and regional politics, as Cairo faces scrutiny over its recent agreement with Israel.
The Qatar-Egypt agreement also sets a framework for joint investments and technical partnerships in gas exploration, processing, and broader energy infrastructure, both sides said.
Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company and QatarEnergy also finalised a mechanism for delivering Qatari LNG to Egypt’s Ain Sokhna and Damietta terminals.
The Petroleum Ministry said the deal aims to secure stable supplies and strengthen Egypt’s role as a regional gas-trading hub in the Eastern Mediterranean.
QatarEnergy, already prolific in Egyptian Mediterranean waters, holds exploration rights in numerous offshore blocks and is planning new investment and drilling activity in the coming years.
The agreement with Qatar comes just over two weeks after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a separate, long‑term gas export agreement with Egypt, valued at up to $35 billion, until 2040.
Israel’s leader presented that deal as a symbol of regional stability, but the announcement triggered public backlash in Egypt, where anger over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza remains intense.
Facing criticism at home and abroad, Egyptian officials insisted the Israeli arrangement was “purely commercial” and carried no political obligation.
Egypt’s State Information Service said at the time that the deal was driven by economic considerations and could not influence Egypt’s stance on the war in Gaza, where more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed.
Analysts said the new deal with Qatar, a major LNG exporter and vocal supporter of Gaza’s reconstruction, may help Cairo demonstrate it is broadening its energy partnerships beyond Israel.
The move highlights Cairo’s effort to keep energy policy separate from diplomacy, while maintaining its role as a mediator in Gaza and its position as the Eastern Mediterranean’s leading gas hub.
(The National)
