During the Egypt–Spain Business Forum, attended by His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain and H.E. Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt, H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, met with Ms. María Amparo López, Spain's Secretary of State for Trade, to discuss avenues for strengthening joint cooperation across various development fields.
Dr. Al-Mashat emphasized that Egypt and Spain share long-standing relations of cooperation and friendship. She stressed that the historic visit of H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to the Kingdom of Spain marked a turning point, elevating bilateral relations to the level of a strategic partnership.
She added that the current visit of His Majesty the King of Spain reflects the mutual commitment of both countries’ leadership to advancing bilateral relations, opening prospects for increased trade, joint investments, and deepening economic cooperation across multiple sectors.
Dr. Al-Mashat highlighted the Partnership for Economic Development Program 2025–2030, the first of its kind between Egypt and Spain, which was signed during the historic royal visit. She underscored that this program will take Egyptian–Spanish relations to a new, more advanced stage, expanding the scope of cooperation to cover additional priority areas.
She also noted the strong collaboration with the Spanish private sector, highlighting that many Spanish companies operate in Egypt in sectors including transport, sanitation, and renewable energy. She pointed out that 95% of Egypt’s wind farms were implemented by Spanish companies and that Spain is currently contributing to the financing of the Benban Wind Farm.
The discussions further addressed ways to leverage the €1.8 billion investment guarantee and financing packages provided by the European Union to Egypt. These resources are aimed at encouraging private-sector participation in priority joint projects. Dr. Al-Mashat noted the growing interest of Spanish companies operating in Egypt — particularly in the strategic energy and water desalination sectors — to expand the scope of cooperation in these fields.
It is worth noting that development cooperation between Egypt and Spain dates back to the Cultural Cooperation Agreement of 1967, followed by the Scientific and Technical Cooperation Agreement in 1991, the establishment of the Joint Committee in 2005, and the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in February 2009.
On the trade and economic front, cooperation between the two countries began in 1977 with the Economic Cooperation Program. This partnership was reinforced through the Bilateral Cooperation Agreement of 2001 and the Memoranda of Understanding for Financial Cooperation signed in 1998 and 2008, which remained in effect until 2021 and supported the implementation of numerous projects in renewable energy, transport, sanitation, health, and tourism. In 2021, during the visit of the Spanish Prime Minister to Egypt, both sides signed a Joint Declaration to enhance bilateral trade and financial relations. This was followed by the signing of the MoU for Cooperation in Trade and Industry in February 2025.
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