Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly affirmed that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has issued clear directives to advance frameworks of cooperation with African countries, in a way that consolidates historical ties and serves the mutual interests of the peoples of the continent.
Madbouly’s remarks came during a meeting he chaired on Sunday, March 1, 2026, to discuss means of enhancing cooperation with African nations across various sectors.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Transport Kamel al-Wazir, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Civil Aviation Sameh al-Hefny, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Farid, and Minister of Industry Khaled Hashem.
Also attending were Deputy Finance Minister Yasser Sobhi, Assistant Foreign Minister for African Affairs Mohamed Abu Bakr, CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones Mohamed El Gouski, Adviser to the Central Bank Governor for African Relations Naglaa Nozahy, along with officials from relevant ministries and bodies.
During the meeting, Madbouly reviewed joint projects being implemented with African countries, stressing the need to encourage Egyptian investors to expand their investments across the continent to capitalize on its promising opportunities and support shared development goals.
For his part, Abdelatty said Egypt already enjoys a strong and influential presence in Africa, but the coming phase requires closer coordination among state institutions to realize the vision and directives of President Sisi to broaden cooperation with African partners, particularly in the economic sphere.
He underlined the importance of joint action by the government, the banking sector and the private sector to strengthen partnerships across African markets.
The foreign minister highlighted the strategic importance of African markets at the current stage, noting that major global powers and economic blocs have developed specific strategies to enhance cooperation with the continent.
He stressed that Egypt, as an African country proud of its roots and belonging to the continent, is well positioned to build effective and model partnerships with its African partners.
Abdelatty also reviewed recent steps taken by both the government and private sector to expand investment and cooperation opportunities in Africa, stressing the importance of coordinating these efforts to maximize their impact.
He proposed establishing a national investment entity, such as a holding company, in coordination with relevant ministries, the banking sector and the private sector, to unify and organize Egyptian investment efforts in African markets. He said the entity could focus on sectors including agriculture, mining and industry, among others.
Meanwhile, Wazir presented a detailed overview of logistics connectivity projects with African countries and the measures being implemented to enhance continental cooperation.
He said the ministry has adopted a strategy aimed at empowering Egyptian construction companies and manufacturers through regional connectivity projects across various modes of transport, which would facilitate the entry of Egyptian firms into African markets and support the formation of strong economic alliances involving the private sector.
Wazir also reviewed land connectivity projects within Africa, noting that plans are under way to upgrade and establish a network of strategic roads as part of continental connectivity initiatives being implemented by national companies.
He further outlined maritime connectivity plans, noting that Egypt is working to strengthen links with East and West African countries through global shipping lines and strategic partnerships to launch new maritime routes connecting Egyptian and African ports.
The minister added that efforts are also under way to develop Egypt’s commercial maritime fleet to enhance its capacity to transport millions of tons of goods annually, in addition to facilitating passenger transport between Egypt and various countries, particularly in Africa.
Wazir also highlighted the importance of river transport, noting that inland waterways represent one of the most efficient means of linking African countries and could play a key role in boosting trade, particularly among Nile Basin states.
Madbouli tasked officials with swiftly preparing a clear action plan to activate and expand cooperation frameworks with African countries.
