Al-Mashat: Egypt and the Gulf Share Complementary Strengths for Regional Economic Security

Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, participated in the ministerial opening session of the Egypt–GCC Trade and Investment Forum, held under the theme “Prospects for Trade and Investment Relations between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the GCC Countries.”

The session reviewed the investment environments in Egypt and the Gulf states, discussed recent economic and legislative developments, and explored opportunities to enhance strategic partnerships between the public and private sectors. Participants also examined ways to overcome challenges facing investment flows and outlined the future of investment cooperation in line with the long-term visions of Egypt and the GCC countries.

Among those attending were Eng. Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources; Mr. Mohamed Gabr, Minister of Labor; Mr. Mohamed Abdelrahman Al-Hawi, Undersecretary at the UAE Ministry of Investment; Mr. Abdullah bin Ali Al-Dubaikhi, Assistant Minister of Investment, Saudi Arabia; Ms. Ibtisam bint Ahmed Al-Farouji, Undersecretary at Oman’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion; and Mr. Mohamed Hassan Al-Malaki, Undersecretary at Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The session was chaired by Dr. Alaa Ezz, Secretary-General of the African and European Chambers of Commerce.

In her remarks, Al-Mashat expressed her pleasure in participating in the forum, emphasizing the depth of the historic and brotherly ties between Egypt and the GCC, grounded in mutual trust, a shared vision, and complementary interests. She affirmed that Egypt and the Gulf countries possess promising and complementary capabilities that can strengthen regional economic security, noting that Gulf investments remain the largest in Egypt, with opportunities expanding across multiple sectors supported by the government’s ongoing economic reforms.

The minister highlighted that the forum is taking place at a crucial time marked by rapid regional and global transformations, underscoring the need for deeper strategic partnerships to enhance economic integration and develop shared regional value chains. She emphasized that cooperation between Egypt and the GCC establishes strong bridges across Asian and African markets, positioning both sides as key drivers of regional trade and investment.

Al-Mashat underscored that GCC countries are Egypt’s largest regional investment partners and among the top sources of foreign direct investment in energy, real estate, financial services, tourism, and agriculture. She stressed that this long-standing partnership can be expanded further to align with shared priorities and emerging economic developments, especially following Egypt’s structural, economic, and financial reforms.

She reaffirmed that Egypt is adopting an approach centered on empowering the private sector and redefining the role of the state in economic activity. Despite global and regional challenges, the Egyptian economy continues to recover and grow, driven by key sectors such as tourism, industry, and telecommunications, which will play pivotal roles in future development.

The minister reviewed Egypt’s recent positive economic indicators, noting that GDP growth reached approximately 5% in Q4 FY 2024/2025 — up from 2.4% during the same period of the previous year — marking the highest quarterly growth rate in three years. This brought annual growth to around 4.4%, reflecting Egypt’s resilience in the face of external shocks and the effectiveness of policies that enhance macroeconomic stability, strengthen governance of public investment, and encourage private sector participation.

Dr. Al-Mashat added that Egypt’s development strategy is anchored in “Egypt’s Narrative for Economic Development: Reforms for Growth, Jobs & Resilience,” which rests on three pillars: maintaining macroeconomic stability as a foundation for sustainable growth; structural transformation toward tradable sectors such as industry, tourism, agriculture, energy, and ICT; and redefining the state’s role to empower and incentivize private investment. This framework, she explained, supports both domestic and foreign investors — particularly those from the Gulf region.

The minister also highlighted the “Hafiz” platform, an integrated digital system linking private sector entities with development partners, offering financial, technical, and capacity-building support to facilitate investment and improve access to concessional financing. Since 2020, Egypt’s private sector has received approximately USD 16 billion in concessional funding from development partners.

In conclusion, Dr. Al-Mashat stressed that the Egypt–GCC Forum represents a new phase in strengthening economic and investment partnerships, aiming to build an integrated and sustainable Arab economy founded on innovation, investment, and capacity integration. She emphasized that Egypt continues to work closely with its partners through joint committees and institutional frameworks to translate shared visions into practical initiatives that enhance cooperation across multiple sectors.