Israeli competition against Egypt in the energy and natural gas sector

Since the success of the (June 30th revolution and the departure of the Muslim Brotherhood’s rule in Egypt), then the establishment of the (new republic in Egypt), then to the changes brought about by the policy of building and construction, and then the international conferences that the Egyptian leadership is keen to attend or host, such as: youth and climate conferences, all of these prominent activities have enhanced the volume of successes and the historical changes achieved by the Egyptian state.  President “El-Sisi” and the military institution, led the Egyptian masses to make a historic leap from wealth to power, which was inaugurated with the establishment of the (New Administrative Capital) with the great Chinese support and investments. We can here, in brief, (linking and finding a logical relationship between building the new republic in Egypt and the Chinese role in Cairo projects, and deliberately not inviting Egypt and countries in the region interested in building to the conference of American democracies), through:

  President (Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi) described all the Egyptian state’s moves in the direction of total and comprehensive development for all sectors in recent years by declaring a new republic and the birth of a new state with the opening of the new administrative capital in Cairo.  According to the content of President “El-Sisi’s words”, in which he described the new projects that Egypt will open during the coming period, confirming that:

 “The new administrative capital is an announcement of the new republic after a difficult period that Egypt passed through”

  The political leadership in Egypt has also been interested in establishing new cities, known as: (the fourth generation cities), which are considered the turning point in the real estate sector in Egypt, and there are about 20 cities, and it is expected to accommodate about 30 million people. Such as:

  (The New Administrative Capital, New Alamein, Galala, New Mansourieh, New Ismailia, West Assiut, East Port Said, West Qena)

  The (new administrative capital) comes at the top of the urban development that Egypt is currently witnessing with various Chinese and international investments, as this capital will be the headquarters of the state’s strategic leadership center, and a leading political, cultural and economic center for the Middle East and North Africa, on new foundations, including what it includes from advanced international standards by establishing (City of Finance and Business), as a center serving Greater Cairo and the three governorates of the (Suez Canal, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez), and it will be one of the largest centers in the Middle East and the region, in order to serve the state’s orientation seeking to (support the future of its influence in the region to form a pillar for its economic projects in the Mediterranean and securing navigation in the Red Sea and the Suez Canal).

  We find here that (the entry of various Chinese investments in the new administrative capital and the Suez Canal) and others, is one of the main analytical reasons from which, it is understood (the increase in the intensity of competition and international polarization between the United States of America, China and Russia in Egypt and all the countries of the region), which makes all questions about the capabilities of those who support it from other parties, and this is the case now.

    Additionally, we can identify the implications of the (regional competition and American-Israeli polarization in the face of Egypt in the energy sector and the discovery of a natural gas field in the eastern Mediterranean), the signing of the (Eastern Mediterranean Agreement) between “Egypt, Greece, Cyprus”, and the entry of the Israeli side as a competitor in the energy and natural gas projects of Egypt, was one of the main reasons for excluding Egypt from the American invitation to attend the democracy summit, for reasons (related to the regional competition between Israel against Cairo in the energy sector and natural gas in the eastern Mediterranean region).

   With the support of the United States of America to its Israeli ally in confronting and supporting (the energy sector in Egypt and its unprecedented achievements and the entry of Israel as a competitor), in recent years, this has led to (changing the entire energy landscape, in favor of Egypt, and eliminating the large gap between demand and supply), which Washington considered “Egypt is one of the top ten countries in the world that possesses large reserves of natural gas in deep waters”. This is according to the estimates of the well-known US “Global data energy” website.

  Perhaps one of the most things that irritated the Israeli side about Egypt is the Egyptian achievements in achieving self-sufficiency in electricity and exporting it abroad, and the (solar power generation project in Benban, Aswan Governorate), which won the annual award distinguished as the best project from the “World Bank” in 2019, at the world level, and Egypt’s success in (transforming into a regional energy center in the face of Israel), this was so enough for Israel to play a negative role in questioning the successes of the Egyptian state, led by President “El-Sisi”, and one of the easiest of which is (the entrance to democracy).

   My analysis of the matter goes, that the attention of the whole world towards the (annual youth conferences) called by President “El-Sisi”, and his keenness to host (conferences for Egyptian and international youth to lay the foundations for world peace), was the main reason behind “the Israeli anger at their inability to host and launching similar conferences for youth internationally and directing the world’s youth towards Cairo”, through President “El-Sisi” achieving remarkable results and creating a new situation in the Egyptian state for young people at all levels. So, we can analyze that (The Conference of American Democracies, as a magnet for young people around the world who are seeking democracy). According to the American promotion of this to support the Israeli side as the only democratic state in the region.

   Accordingly, we can understand the reality of the achievements of the Egyptian state in recent years, and the inauguration of (the era of the new republic), and considering it as a new era witnessed by Egypt with all its sectors and categories and its transformation into a global economic and investment center, after successive achievements, reforms and national projects, all of which will make Egypt a strong country capable of competing in the global economy and more influential in its regional environment, and this is the long-term reason, which many may not have noticed about (the Israeli role and the US support for it in promoting Israel as a single and unique democratic state in the Middle East and the region).

Dr.Nadia Helmy
Dr.Nadia Helmy
Associate Professor of Political Science, Faculty of Politics and Economics / Beni Suef University- Egypt. An Expert in Chinese Politics, Sino-Israeli relationships, and Asian affairs- Visiting Senior Researcher at the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES)/ Lund University, Sweden- Director of the South and East Asia Studies Unit