ABSTRACT: Benthic foraminiferal assemblages from the Dababiya Corehole have been analysed as part of a multi-disciplinary study. Upper Cretaceous to lowermost Eocene sediments (Dakhla Shale, Tarawan Chalk and Esna Shale Formations) recovered from this corehole contain abundant and diverse benthic foraminifera, which allowed us to carry out detailed quantitative analyses of their assemblages and to infer paleoenvironmental changes. Assemblages are dominated by taxa typical of the Midway-type fauna, and of outer shelf environments. In this paper, we document for the first time the benthic foraminiferal assemblage turnover and changes in the paleoenvironmental conditions in this part of the southern Tethys from the latest Cretaceous to the earliest Eocene.