Egyptian Labor Accounts for Over 80% of Workforce at El Dabaa Nuclear Project, Minister Says

Egypt’s Minister of Labor Mohamed Gibran said Egyptian workers now make up more than 80 percent of the total workforce at the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant, underscoring what he described as a decisive shift in the capabilities of local labor in technologically advanced national projects.

In a televised interview, Gibran dismissed long-standing assumptions that foreign investors must rely on imported labor due to insufficient technical skills among Egyptian workers. He said those perceptions “no longer exist at all,” noting that current realities—particularly in large-scale, high-technology projects—prove the opposite.

Gibran cited the El-Dabaa nuclear project as a clear example, describing it as one of the most technologically complex projects underway in Egypt. Despite that complexity, he said Egyptian labor dominates the workforce, a fact he said he personally observed during multiple site visits.

He added that Russian partners involved in the project have expressed strong admiration for the performance and efficiency of Egyptian workers. According to the minister, the partners indicated they plan to rely on Egyptian labor in similar projects in other countries, following the advanced experience and technical expertise gained at El-Dabaa.

The minister also pointed to the renewable energy sector, noting that wind power projects in Egypt depend almost entirely on Egyptian engineers and workers, further reflecting the growing role of local expertise in advanced energy and infrastructure developments.