The Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation has agreed to import 1.8 million tons of diesel to cover domestic market needs during the summer of 2026 — June through the end of September — according to a source familiar with fuel import matters.
“Diesel imports have risen by about 20%, equivalent to 300,000 tons, compared with the same period last year, when imports totaled around 1.5 million tons,” the source explained to Al Manassa.
The source, who asked to remain anonymous, added that the value of diesel imports “will range from roughly $800–900 million over the four months, with the Ministry of Petroleum seeking payment terms of up to six months to settle the diesel bill.”
Diesel imports, the source noted, currently cover about 40% of total domestic market consumption, while the remaining share is produced locally in Egyptian refineries.
Diesel is the most important fuel in Egypt, given the domestic market’s heavy reliance on it across vital sectors. Foremost among these is transportation, where diesel serves as the primary fuel for mass transit and heavy-duty vehicles. It is also widely used as an energy source in industrial operations, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises, and in certain cases of electricity generation, especially in remote areas or during emergencies.
The source pointed out that the Petroleum Authority is trying to curb its import bill by directing larger quantities of crude oil to domestic refineries to increase local production of petroleum products.
“About 500,000 barrels of crude oil are directed to domestic refineries each day, alongside a range of contracts the Petroleum Authority secures from abroad to keep the country’s refineries running and meet the market’s needs for petroleum products,” the source added.
Egypt faces a massive petroleum import bill, which reached around $11.6 billion in the period from July to December 2025, and is expected to have risen further during the first half of this year due to the impact of rising global prices caused by the American-Israeli war on Iran.
