El-Sisi, Putin to join virtual ceremony marking milestone at Egypt’s first nuclear plant

CAIRO – 19 November 2025: The Egyptian and Russian leaders will participate via videoconference on Wednesday in a landmark ceremony marking the installation of the reactor pressure vessel for the first nuclear unit at the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant.

The event, a major milestone in advancing Egypt’s first nuclear power project, will also include the signing of the nuclear fuel purchase order, the Egyptian Presidency said.

The event coincides with Egypt's celebration of the fifth annual anniversary of Nuclear Energy Day, which Egypt organizes every year on November 19th.

The day commemorates the signing of the governmental agreement between Egypt and Russia for the construction and operation of the El Dabaa NPP, a symbolic day for the launch of Egypt's peaceful nuclear program.

The participation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and President Vladimir Putin in this significant event demonstrates the strength of the strategic relations between the two countries, the Presidency emphasized.

The occasion also represents a continuation of the path of fruitful bilateral cooperation through massive projects that have left a clear mark on the course of development.

This path started with the construction of the High Dam in the 1960s and culminated in the national project to establish the El Dabaa NPP.

El-Sisi is scheduled to deliver a speech during the event.

Egypt's First NPP

Construction is underway on Egypt’s first nuclear power plant at El Dabaa, set to generate 4.8 gigawatts of electricity and produce 31.2 terawatt-hours annually, according to Russian state’s Rosatom, the project’s developer.

The facility will feature four advanced Generation III+ VVER‑1200 reactors, combining cutting-edge technology with Egypt’s ambitions to expand its clean energy capacity.

The project will be owned and operated by Egypt’s Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA).

Rosatom is providing comprehensive support, including the construction of the plant, long-term supply of nuclear fuel, and assistance with staff training and operational management for the first decade of the plant’s operation.

Construction of the first two units began in July and November 2022, with the first concrete for the third unit poured in May 2023.

Thousands of workers are currently involved in the project, which is the largest nuclear construction effort in Africa and one of the biggest globally, alongside Turkey’s Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant.

The El Dabaa NPP represents the largest project in Russian-Egyptian cooperation since the construction of the Aswan High Dam, highlighting the deepening strategic partnership between the two countries in the energy sector.