The start of building had been delayed after the government intervened to consider how the project would affect views of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.
A large part of the investment to increase output will need to come from the Middle East as a rise in non-OPEC production such as U.S. shale oil starts to lose steam in the mid-2020s.
The UAE is one of the main supporters of the government in Egypt and has showered it with aid since its military ousted elected Islamist president Mohammed Mursi last year.