• Egypt and Qatar agreed on an MoU covering up to 24 Qatari LNG cargoes, mainly for summer demand.
• Egypt’s gas production fell to about 3.64 billion cubic meters per month in October 2025 from over 6 bcm in 2021.
• Egypt’s LNG import bill reached about $7.2 billion in the first ten months of 2025, up 87% year on year.

Egypt and Qatar signed a memorandum of understanding to structure cooperation in the liquefied natural gas segment. Officials disclosed the agreement on Sunday, January 4, 2026. The framework provides for the supply of Qatari LNG cargoes to Egypt, with volumes reaching up to 24 cargoes. Authorities designed these deliveries to cover Egypt’s needs during the summer period, when electricity demand typically rises.

Qatar to supply Egypt with LNG

QatarEnergy and EGAS sign agreement to supply up to 24 LNG cargoes to Egypt for the summer of 2026#QatarEnergy #YourEnergyTransitionPartner #Qatar pic.twitter.com/sKacR9Xenx

— QatarEnergy (@qatarenergy) January 4, 2026

The signing occurs against a backdrop of sustained growth in domestic gas demand, driven mainly by power generation, while national gas output continues to decline. In October 2025, Egypt’s gas production reached about 3.64 billion cubic meters per month, compared with more than 6 billion cubic meters per month in 2021, according to data from the Joint Organisations Data Initiative.

This imbalance forced Cairo to return to international markets. During the first ten months of 2025, Egypt’s LNG purchases reached about $7.2 billion, representing an 87% increase from the same period in 2024. This surge illustrates intensified imports aimed at offsetting declining domestic output. The cooperation framework with Qatar, one of the world’s leading LNG exporters, forms part of a broader set of initiatives launched in 2025 to diversify supply sources.

This strategy also includes targeted efforts to identify new gas fields. Egypt concluded LNG import agreements with Shell and TotalEnergies covering about 60 cargoes for 2025. Authorities also secured commitments for additional purchases totaling between 150 and 160 cargoes scheduled across 2026.

In the case of the agreement with Doha, publicly available information does not specify shipment schedules. The implementation of deliveries remains subject to the conclusion of subsequent commercial contracts, as well as market conditions and available logistical capacity.

This article was initially published in French by Abdel-Latif Boureima

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum