Egypt led at half-time through a magnificent 20-yard strike from midfielder Emam Ashour in the 19th minute, a goal that gave the Pharaohs exactly the platform they needed to play the low-block football at which they excel.
Belgium struggled to create clear-cut opportunities in the first half, their possession failing to translate into genuine danger as Egypt stayed compact and well-organised throughout.
The second period brought more urgency from Belgium manager Rudi Garcia's side, and Kevin De Bruyne came closest to an equaliser when he curled a superb free-kick that struck the outside of the post with 53 minutes played.
Garcia turned to Lukaku in the 65th minute, and the Napoli striker changed the game almost immediately.
Twenty-two seconds after entering the pitch, Lukaku's physical presence inside the Egypt penalty area caused panic among the Pharaohs' defenders, with Mohamed Hany inadvertently deflecting Thomas Meunier's cross into his own net to make it 1-1.
Despite the equaliser, Belgium were unable to find a winner, and Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir produced a series of outstanding saves late in the contest to ensure the point was shared.
Egypt teenage striker Hamza Abdelkarim was proud of how his side competed after the final whistle.
"We got one point at the end but we gave it our all," Abdelkarim said.
"We have to thank the fans who came. We know Belgium are a good team with good quality players, but we can't say it was the hardest or easiest game — every game is about three points. The whole atmosphere was great and we need to thank the fans. We look forward to the match and an even better atmosphere."
Garcia praised his squad's character in drawing level but was candid about the difficulty Egypt had posed.
"The opening match of a competition like the World Cup is always a tough one, especially against one of Africa's top teams like Egypt," the Belgium head coach said.
"They scored with their first shot on target, and against a side like that you can't afford to let them get in front because it only reinforces the way they want to play."
He added: "The important thing is that we stayed in the game. We managed to equalise thanks to a player who came off the bench, which shows just how important the whole squad is. We had chances to win it, but their goalkeeper made some outstanding saves. It was a great game between two very good teams."
The statistics support Garcia's assessment of a close contest. Belgium registered 15 shots with an expected goals figure of 1.31, while Egypt had 14 attempts worth 1.07 xG — a margin that barely separates the two sides on the night.
Belgium next face Iran in Los Angeles, while Egypt travel to Vancouver to meet New Zealand.
Both Group G teams will know that what looked like a straightforward opening fixture has already become a more complicated equation.