Egypt Deepens Ties with EBRD to Boost Productive Sectors, Economic Competitiveness

Egypt is stepping up efforts to strengthen its economic partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), with a focus on supporting productive sectors and enhancing the country’s global competitiveness, Investment and Foreign Trade Minister Mohamed Farid Saleh said on Wednesday.

The minister met with an EBRD delegation led by Mark Davis to explore ways to deepen strategic cooperation and expand engagement across priority areas aligned with Egypt’s economic development agenda.

Discussions centered on strengthening institutional and technical capacities within investment and trade-related entities, aiming to improve efficiency and upgrade services offered to investors. Both sides also highlighted the importance of knowledge exchange and adopting international best practices.

A key focus of the talks was Egypt’s plan to establish specialized investment funds, in partnership with the country’s sovereign wealth framework, to channel financing into productive sectors, particularly industry, and support expansion while increasing local value-added components. The discussions also explored innovative fund models targeting emerging sectors such as sports-related industries and pharmaceutical research.

Saleh emphasized that Egypt is continuing to broaden asset ownership and increase private sector participation through the offering of stakes in state-owned enterprises. He said the strategy is designed to improve asset management efficiency, enhance transparency, and attract both domestic and foreign investment.

In support of entrepreneurship, the meeting reviewed mechanisms to expand access to finance, including venture capital funding and the introduction of Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs), aimed at helping startups scale and access capital markets more effectively.

The two sides also discussed cooperation in foreign trade development and advanced data analytics. This includes leveraging EBRD expertise in trade data cleansing and analysis to improve data accuracy and establish early warning systems capable of detecting practices that may harm Egypt’s export competitiveness.

Artificial intelligence applications were another area of focus, particularly in analyzing trade patterns and forecasting risks linked to international trade measures. Officials said such tools would strengthen Egypt’s ability to proactively safeguard exports and ensure compliance with global standards.

The meeting further addressed building national capabilities in trade policy, including safeguard measures in line with international trade rules, to balance the protection of domestic industries with the promotion of exports.

Saleh reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to expanding cooperation with international partners, particularly the EBRD, to accelerate economic development, improve competitiveness, and foster a stable and attractive investment climate.

On his part, Davis underscored the EBRD’s continued support for Egypt through concessional financing and technical expertise, particularly in private sector development, green transition initiatives, infrastructure, and innovative financial instruments.

“The Egyptian economy continues to demonstrate stability despite regional challenges,” Davis said, adding that the bank has ambitious plans to expand cooperation across trade, capacity building, data analytics, and investment funds.