The Presidency
Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received Vice President of Global Exploration at ExxonMobil, Mr. Jon Ardill.
The meeting was also attended by Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly; Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Eng. Karim Badawi; ExxonMobil’s Vice President for LNG Mr. Peter Clarke; Chairman and Managing Director of ExxonMobil Egypt Mr. Amr Abou Eita; President of ExxonMobil Egypt Upstream Limited for Exploration and Production Eng. Diaa Sohail; and Board Member of ExxonMobil Egypt Eng. Youssef Hafez.
Spokesman for the Presidency Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy said the meeting came within the framework of the President’s keenness to follow-up on ongoing exploration activities on Egypt’s land and in its waters. President El-Sisi began the meeting by welcoming the company’s officials and their participation in the Egypt Energy Show (EGYPS 2026), expressing his appreciation for the company’s efforts as one of Egypt’s strategic partners in the energy sector.
The President affirmed Egypt’s commitment to strengthening and developing its relations with ExxonMobil and all companies operating in and interested in the Egyptian market. During the meeting, President El-Sisi reviewed the state’s efforts to enhance Egypt’s regional and international standing in the energy sector by fostering partnerships and developing government policies aimed at creating a favorable business environment for both domestic and foreign investments.
The Vice President of Global Exploration at ExxonMobil expressed his gratitude to the President for his continued support for companies operating in Egypt. He lauded the achievements made by the Egyptian government in the energy sector, which have resulted in a significant increase in investments directed toward oil and gas exploration in recent years. He noted that ExxonMobil, in cooperation with QatarEnergy, continues exploration activities in deep waters in the two concession areas granted to both companies in the Mediterranean, namely “Cairo” and “Masry,” at an accelerated pace, with the aim of identifying significant natural gas resources that could support the Egyptian economy.
He clarified that the two companies plan to begin a drilling program in the Eastern Mediterranean by the end of the current year, starting with the drilling of an exploratory well in the “Cairo” and “Masry” offshore areas, and are currently contracting a drilling vessel for this purpose.
Vice President of Global Exploration at ExxonMobil, Mr. Ardill, offered an overview of the company’s future plans regarding major discoveries in the “Glaucus” and “Pegasus” fields in the neighboring Cyprus Block 10, and reviewed ways to develop gas production from these fields through an innovative concept involving transporting the gas for liquefaction in Egypt, in a manner that benefits Cyprus, Egypt, and investors.
President El-Sisi commended the company’s efforts, reaffirming the Egyptian government’s commitment to overcoming any obstacles that may impede these efforts. The President expressed his aspiration for the company to achieve significant discoveries in the near term, stressing the priority Egypt places on new natural gas discoveries, particularly in light of the current geopolitical challenges and their impact on energy security and supplies. The President reaffirmed the state’s commitment to settling all dues owed to foreign partners in the petroleum and gas sectors within the coming few months.
