Qena Launches Its First Integrated Artisanal Zone for Gold Extraction Under a New Investment Project

Dr. Khaled Abdelhalim, Governor of Qena, has signed the first cooperation protocol with a national company specialized in gold ore extraction to establish the governorate’s first fully integrated artisanal and logistics zone for gold extraction. The move aims to maximize the utilization of mining resources and promote structured investment pathways, in line with the directives of the political leadership.

The Governor explained that the project will be established on an area of approximately 490 feddans in the Al-Aqab area of Qus District. The land has already been allocated and preliminary works have begun, foremost among them the construction of a perimeter fence for the site, in preparation for regularizing the status of artisanal miners (“Al-Dahaba”) and integrating them into a legal and organized framework that ensures sustainability and occupational safety.

Abdelhalim emphasized that the protocol represents a qualitative shift in the pattern of mining investment in Qena, noting that the new zone will help curb random and illegal extraction activities, transform the sector into a formal framework, add real value to the local economy, and create direct and indirect job opportunities.

The Governor also revealed that the technical studies required to connect electricity to the site have been completed, through extending overhead power lines from the nearest electricity substation, in order to support the project’s infrastructure and accelerate its operational launch. He pointed out that the zone enjoys a strategic location in the eastern desert hinterland of Qus, near the electric train station, which enhances its logistical efficiency and positions it as a promising hub for mining investments.

These remarks came during an expanded meeting held by the Governor of Qena with Angelina Eichhorst, Ambassador of the European Union to Egypt, Dr. Hisham El-Helbawy, Assistant Minister of Local Development and Director of the Upper Egypt Local Development Program, along with a number of executive officials and investors at the Qift Industrial Zone, to discuss opportunities for joint cooperation, industrial zone development, and attracting further investment