3000 Business, Political Leaders Attend Africa 2018 Forum in Sharm El-Sheikh

By: Nawal Sayed

CAIRO, Dec. 8 (SEE) - Africa 2018 Forum kicks off Saturday in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi. More than 3000 business and political leaders will show up at the event which wraps up Sunday.

It’s expected to witness more than 20 sessions, seminars and roundtable talks that discuss the future of investments in Africa and the challenges facing business community in the continent.

The event will seek to provide a platform for heads of state and government as well as the private sector and business leaders to discuss a wide range of business and development issues.

According to the official agenda, the first day activities will feature a Young Entrepreneurs’ Day and a discussion on Women Empowering Africa.

A number of agreements will be signed on the sidelines of

the first day of the forum.

The forum titled “Bold Leadership and Collective Commitment:

Advancing Intra-African Investments” is jointly organized by the ministry and

COMESA Regional Investment Agency. 

The agency’s Regional Manager Heba Salama expressed her

appreciation for Egypt’s role in supporting economic relations between African

countries, and the ministry’s role in hosting the conference for three

years. 

The conference has put forward five recommendations: 

1- Pumping new investments in Africa to boost economic growth and

development 

2- The establishment of joint projects, particularly in infrastructure, to

support investment and trade among African states. 

3- Enhancing the role of the African private sector to increase investment

rates in the continent. 

4- The execution of programs that encourage entrepreneurship and the adoption

of programs that would increase youth’s participation in the African

economy. 

5- Empowering women in all fields of economic activity, considering them as

active members in the process of developing Africa and achieving economic

stability. 

Moreover, twelve African start-ups were selected to pitch their businesses at

Africa 2017 to investors, private equity firms and venture capital firms to

secure funding for their business expansion and growth. 

Another session is set to discuss the role of women in

outlining policies of the African continent with the participation of

Immigration Minister Nabila Makram, Environment Minister Yasmeen Fouad, Mali's

Foreign Minister Kamissa Camara and COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe.