The statement did not include comparative numbers for the previous fiscal year. Egypt's fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30.

Egypt earns about $500 million monthly from natural gas exports and aims to raise that figure to $1 billion "in the coming period", Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said in a statement last week.

Egypt has been pushing to maximise its exports of natural gas to generate foreign currency revenue after coming under financial pressure due to the impact of the war in Ukraine.

The government says gas exports have been boosted after the it introduced an electricity rationing plan in August.