Abdel Fattah El Sisi welcomed the participation of Arab companies in oil and gas search and exploration operations in Egypt.

During a meeting with ministers and representatives of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) on Sunday, Sisi underlined the importance of the oil sector as a main source of energy, presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef said.

He stressed the need for the unity of Arab ranks against challenges in the Arab region, mainly terrorism, which has an adverse effect on economic conditions in Arab countries.

Egypt welcomes cooperation with its Arab sisters in the oil and energy domains, he said, adding that the great potentials of the infrastructure in this sector in Egypt have to be exploited, the spokesman said.

The participants hailed Egypt’s role at the Arab level and expressed their countries’ interest to contribute to developing Arab cooperation in the energy field, Youssef said.

Egyptian Petroleum Minister Tareq el Mola, who was also attending, said the OAPEC meetings in Cairo addressed the active Arab role in the Paris Climate Summit as well as means to activate studies on boosting Arab cooperation in the oil domain, the spokesman said.