According to Egypt Today, during the Egyptian-French Business Forum in Paris, Egypt’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Hassan El Khatib, emphasized France’s critical role in Egypt’s sustainable development efforts and the strong economic ties between the two countries.
El Khatib explained that with French investments totaling €7 billion across 180 projects, France is recognized as one of Egypt’s largest investors. These investments have generated approximately 50,000 jobs in sectors like manufacturing and telecommunications.
Numerous officials and business representatives, including Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Egypt’s Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development, and Sophie Primas, the newly appointed French Minister of Foreign Trade, attended the forum. El Khatib congratulated Primas on her appointment and expressed enthusiasm for deepening bilateral cooperation.
According to El Khatib, this forum builds on the 2023 Egypt-EU investment conference, which resulted in 20 agreements valued at €40 billion across key sectors such as green hydrogen, water management, chemicals, shipping, aviation, and automotive industries.
During his first trip to Europe since taking office, El Khatib reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to ongoing economic reforms aimed at enhancing the investment climate and attracting foreign capital. He also pointed out that Egypt has maintained its position as the largest recipient of foreign direct investment in Africa for two consecutive years, reaching a historic peak of $46.1 billion in FY2023/2024.
El Khatib further highlighted Egypt’s strategic geographical location, connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa, which offers access to a consumer market of 106 million people and a skilled workforce of 31 million. Egypt’s competitive investment conditions and numerous free trade agreements continue to provide significant opportunities for investors.
