Khaberni - Egypt and Syria signed two memorandums of understanding in the field of supplying natural gas and petroleum products aimed at meeting Syria's energy needs, especially for electricity generation, and supporting the efforts to rehabilitate its infrastructure.
The signing was witnessed by the Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi, along with a high-level Syrian delegation led by Ghiath Diab, the Syrian Deputy Minister of Energy for Petroleum Affairs.
The first memorandum focuses on supplying gas to Syria via Egyptian infrastructure including floating regasification units and gas transmission networks for use in power stations.
The second memorandum aims to meet Syria's needs for various petroleum products, with the provision of technical support and Egyptian expertise to rehabilitate the Syrian energy sector.
The signing comes as part of Egypt's efforts to establish its role as a regional energy hub, following a similar memorandum of understanding signed with Lebanon in Beirut a few days ago and a previous agreement with Cyprus to connect Cypriot gas to Egyptian facilities.
The potential supply depends on Egyptian gas networks extending eastward, like the Arab Gas Pipeline that previously ran through Jordan and Syria, as well as the possibility of using floating regasification units in Suez or Damietta to convert liquefied gas into natural gas suitable for transportation.
While the exact quantities and timeline have not been announced yet, the memorandum paves the way for subsequent technical and commercial negotiations at a time when Syria is seeking to increase its domestic gas production with expectations reaching 15 million cubic meters per day by the end of 2026.
This agreement is part of Egyptian "energy diplomacy" aimed at enhancing regional stability, supporting fellow Arab countries, and diversifying export/import routes away from reliance on a single source, especially with fluctuations in global gas prices and geopolitical tensions.
