Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum announced on Saturday that it will offer compensation of up to 2,000 Egyptian pounds (around $40) to car owners who replaced faulty fuel pumps due to suspected gasoline quality issues earlier this month, following a spike in public complaints.
The compensation will match the amount on an approved receipt for pump replacement, up to the maximum limit, and is subject to a set of conditions, the ministry said in a statement.
Reports of contaminated gasoline causing engine damage began circulating on Egyptian social media last week. Drivers shared photos and videos of broken-down cars after refueling, sparking widespread concern over potential fuel fraud.
On May 6, the ministry responded with a statement confirming that all 802 fuel samples collected from distribution and refining facilities were within Egyptian quality standards.
However, a new statement issued Saturday acknowledged that five out of 807 petrol samples taken from across the country did not meet standards, and confirmed 870 consumer complaints had been submitted between May 4 and 9.
To qualify for compensation, motorists must have filed a complaint via the government’s official hotline or online grievance portal between May 4 and May 10, and the issue must have occurred within that time frame.
Applicants must also submit documents verifying car ownership and provide an official receipt confirming the fuel pump replacement.
The ministry said fuel samples were tested by teams from both the Ministry of Petroleum and the Ministry of Supply, in coordination with independent laboratories. Although only a small number of samples failed to meet specifications, the incident led to the introduction of stricter verification protocols.
Under new protocols, locally refined fuel will not be released to the market until samples are verified by two separate labs with matching results, instead of one. Imported gasoline will also be tested at three separate facilities under independent supervision.
The ministry said it will now conduct testing at multiple points across the fuel supply chain, both before and after distribution, to ensure consistent quality.
On Tuesday, two sources in the Federation of Chambers of Commerce told Al Manassa that auto service centers had seen a sharp rise in demand for new fuel pumps since the start of May. One attributed the trend to "consumer fears over fuel quality."
