Egypt set to boost Israeli gas imports by 21% in May

The Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources is expecting a 21% increase in the country’s imports of Israeli natural gas, raising volumes to around 1.15bn cubic feet per day by May 2026, according to a government source cited by Al Arabiya Business on April 23.

The planned increase, estimated at roughly 200mn cubic feet per day, will be channelled directly into Egypt’s national gas grid to support key sectors, particularly electricity generation and industry. Current supply levels have reached approximately 950mn cubic feet per day since mid-April, covering part of domestic demand.

The anticipated rise reflects Egypt’s continued reliance on imported gas to bridge supply gaps and stabilise energy availability amid growing consumption. 

The development follows a major agreement approved on December 17, 2025 under which Israel will export natural gas to Egypt in a deal valued at up to $35bn over 15 years. The agreement includes the delivery of around 130bn cubic metres of gas from the Leviathan gas field, one of the region’s largest offshore reserves, with estimated total reserves of about 600bn cubic metres.

Following the onset of the conflict with Iran on February 28, 2026, Israel suspended production at the Leviathan and Karish offshore gas fields as a security precaution, effectively halting natural gas exports to Egypt and Jordan for several weeks. While flows from the Leviathan field reportedly resumed and reached pre-war levels by mid-April, the temporary disruption forced Egypt to triple its monthly energy import bill to secure expensive alternative LNG cargoes.