CAIRO- Egypt has approved a mining licence for Aton Resources Inc, the Canada-based gold miner said on Thursday, the first such award since the country's main gold producer Centamin secured a licence more than a decade ago.

Centamin received its mining licence in 2005, according to its website.

Egypt passed a new mining law last year in a push to encourage more exploration and mineral production.

(Reporting by Amina Ismail; Editing by Edmund Blair) ((amina.ismail@thomsonreuters.com; +20 2 2394 8114;))