At Argany’s invitation, Emirati renewable energy company delegation tours Rafah, Sheikh Zuwayed

A delegation from the Emirati renewable energy company Masdar visited several sites in Rafah and Sheikh Zuwayed in North Sinai last Tuesday, North Sinai Senator Fayez Abu Harb told Mada Masr.

The company, in which the UAE government investment fund owns a majority share, plans to build a wind power plant to support Egypt's national electricity grid, according to Abu Harb.

The visit was arranged by Sinai businessman Ibrahim al-Argany rather than an Egyptian state body, according to Abu Harb.

Accompanying the Emirati delegation were Argany's eldest son Essam, deputy chair and executive director of Organi Group, and former Housing Minister Assem al-Gazzar, Abu Harb wrote on Facebook. Gazzar has served as board chair of Neom for Real Estate Development, a subsidiary of Organi Group, since leaving his ministerial post.

While Abu Harb said that North Sinai Governor Khaled Megawer welcomed the Emirati delegation at the Arish International Airport, only the deputy governor joined them on their site tour, with no other government officials present, a tribal source who took part in the tour told Mada Masr.

Abu Harb described the head of the Emirati delegation, Ali al-Shimmari, as "an energy sector man in the UAE." According to his LinkedIn profile, Shimmari serves as the international asset manager for the Gulf Cooperation Council region at the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA). The UAE’s National Experts Program presents him as head of special projects and energy generation and distribution operations at Masdar, which is owned by TAQA, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and Mubadala Investment Company — all state-owned entities.

In mid-August, Shimmari appeared at the signing of an agreement between the Egyptian government, represented by the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company and the New and Renewable Energy Authority, and Masdar and its affiliate Infinity Power — a joint venture between Egypt’s renewable energy provider Infinity and Masdar. The agreement outlines the development, financing and operation of a wind project in Ras Ghareb in the Red Sea governorate by the Masdar-Infinity joint venture. Once operational in October 2026, the project is expected to provide clean energy with a capacity of 200 megawatts to the Egyptian grid, according to a Cabinet statement.

While Masdar described the deal as a "Power Purchase Agreement for an onshore wind project in Ras Ghareb," the Egyptian government framed it as "two agreements for the construction of a wind power plant in the Gulf of Suez." The government statement emphasized that the deal is part of Egypt's broader strategy to expand the role of new and renewable energy in the national energy mix, as well as to encourage greater private sector participation in the establishment of solar and wind energy plants.

The signing of the agreement, attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbuly and the UAE’s Industry and Advanced Technology Minister Sultan al-Jaber, came just weeks after Madbuly announced a cooperation with the Gulf country to introduce around 4 gigawatts of renewable energy into Egypt's power grid starting next summer. This followed a meeting between Madbuly, Jaber, and senior UAE officials, including Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel al-Ramahi, alongside Egypt’s ministers of industry, electricity, and petroleum.

During the meeting, Madbuly emphasized that the future of Egypt's energy sector, which has been plagued by shortfalls that have plunged the country into rolling blackouts since last year, lies in new and renewable energy, including the localization of related industries tied to solar panels and wind power. He also stressed the government’s “reliance on the private sector to implement these projects, especially companies with extensive experience,” stating that they would "proceed at the highest speed” in these endeavors. Madbuly further stated that there are “high-level relations between the political leaderships of [Egypt and UAE], with ongoing collaboration to implement the targeted projects,” which he said would “serve the interests of both countries.”

Although neither Masdar nor the Egyptian government have announced the construction of a wind power plant in North Sinai, Abu Harb said that the Emirati delegation selected an elevated area in the village of Shallaq, along the Sheikh Zuwayed coast near the city’s power plant, as a potential site for the wind project. He noted that this site is a preliminary choice and may change following technical assessments.

A potential alternative location for the project is near Sisi City, Abu Hard added, named as such by Argany during a conference in May announcing the establishment of the Union of Sinai Tribes, which he heads. Sisi City is under construction in the village of Ajra, south of Rafah, Argany announced at the time.

Argany, described by Abu Harb as the "son of Sinai and its pride," owns Energy Cadence for Engineering and Projects Development. Founded in 2023, the company states that one of its missions is to develop solar, wind, and bioenergy projects to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and promote sustainability.

During the visit, the Emirati delegation toured Sisi City and the government development cluster under construction in the village of Nagaa Shebana, south of Rafah. This cluster is one of several being built by Argany’s construction company, Sons of Sinai. Abu Harb said the purpose of the tour was to “to see if they’d like to help with any of the projects, particularly in Sisi City,” which he said is “being constructed to the latest global standards."

Tribal sources told Mada Masr that following the visit, concerns were raised by residents of Rafah and Sheikh Zuwayed, particularly from the Romaylat tribe.

The state continues to stall the Romaylat tribe’s return to their lands in Rafah, from which they were displaced in 2014, when the state began its war against the Province of Sinai militant group in the region.

In response, however, Abu Harb stressed that the Emirati delegation only inspected sand dunes in Shallaq, adding that the village’s sheikh and elders were present during the visit.

Although the areas mentioned by Abu Harb are not part of the Romaylat tribe’s lands, the tribal sources told Mada Masr that they are concerned that the visit might mark the beginning of transferring tribal lands to investors. 

During the state’s fight against the Islamic State-affiliated Province of Sinai group, the Romaylat agreed to fight alongside the Armed Forces if they would be allowed to return to the lands they were forced to leave as fighting engulfed villages in the north of the restive peninsula.

However, with the fighting in Sinai now virtually over, the state has yet to make good on its end of the bargain. At the close of last year, members of the Romaylat, Sawarka and Tarabin tribes tried to return to tribal lands in Sheikh Zuwayed but found themselves barred by unexpected military cordons behind which an agricultural committee affiliated with the military has begun inspecting their lands in preparation for a new agricultural project. 

Tribe members staged the Right to Return sit-in last year, which they ended only after receiving promises that they would receive an audience for their grievances. However, when the promises went unfulfilled, residents attempted to renew the sit-in, leading to the arrest of over 50 people.