Egypt Daily News – President El-Sisi affirmed that there is a valuable opportunity for Qatari investors to invest in Egypt’s logistics sector. This came during his meeting on Sunday in Doha with representatives of the Qatari business community, attended by Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, Minister of Municipality Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sayed, and Chairman of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, alongside representatives from the Chamber and the Qatari Businessmen Association, with wide participation from major companies operating in the Qatari market.
Presidential Spokesman Mohamed El Shennawy stated that the President called on Qatari companies and businessmen to expand their investments in Egypt, emphasizing that Egypt presents a promising opportunity for investors due to its unique strategic location, skilled labor force at competitive costs, favorable energy prices, free trade agreements with Arab and African countries, and an investment-friendly legal framework.
President El-Sisi outlined the wide range of investment opportunities available in Egypt, including in telecommunications and IT, manufacturing, renewable energy, tourism, and other sectors where Egypt seeks to attract more investment. He stressed Egypt’s commitment to localizing industry and enhancing reliance on advanced technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, and expressed openness to various forms of partnership with Qatari investors.
He also underlined that Egypt offers a safe and stable environment for investment, not just due to security measures but also thanks to a well-aware and responsible society that values security and stability.
The President also highlighted Egypt’s ongoing implementation of major infrastructure projects, the development of new and smart cities, and improvements in the country’s transport and port systems, along with the establishment of integrated international logistics corridors and hubs near seaports.
In this context, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Engineer Hassan El-Khatib presented a comprehensive overview of Egypt’s efforts over the past decade to develop its infrastructure and create an attractive environment for investment.
He noted that Egypt has invested around $550 billion in infrastructure over the past ten years, including the construction of 7,000 kilometers of roads, new ports, and 24 new cities. He added that the government is intensifying efforts to foster a competitive investment climate both regionally and globally.
El-Khatib explained that Egypt is pursuing a monetary policy aimed at controlling inflation and achieving economic stability and growth, alongside a fiscal policy to streamline financial burdens and unify investor dealings.
The country also seeks to deepen and protect local industry, maximize the benefits of trade agreements, simplify procedures, and increase exports to exceed $145 billion by 2030, aiming to be among the top 50 countries in global trade indices within three years, and among the top 20 by 2030.
He also stressed that Egypt is working to boost the private sector’s role, targeting a 70% share in business activity, and expanding the role of the Sovereign Fund of Egypt. The government is also moving to eliminate preferential treatment for state entities in investment and economic activities.
The minister outlined Egypt’s competitive advantages as a destination for foreign—especially Qatari—investment, highlighting key sectors of interest such as industry, ICT, agriculture, logistics, renewable energy, education, tourism, and healthcare.
According to the Presidential Spokesman, the meeting included an interactive discussion between President El-Sisi and Qatari businessmen and representatives of major Qatari firms, focusing on ways to enhance trade and investment cooperation.
President El-Sisi acknowledged that Egypt had faced tough economic conditions in recent years but has taken the necessary reform steps. He assured that foreign investors now face no issues in repatriating profits in foreign currencies and that the government is working to simplify licensing procedures, implementing the “one-stop shop” model and the “golden license” system.
He also noted that Egypt is aiming to increase annual tourist arrivals from 16 to 30 million, which he said is achievable given the country’s vast tourism potential.
