Egyptian and Malaysian business leaders convened in Cairo on February 2, 2026, for the inaugural Discover Malaysia 2026 business outreach forum, an event aimed at reinvigorating bilateral trade and unlocking new investment opportunities between the two countries.
Hosted by the Embassy of Malaysia in Cairo in collaboration with MATRADE and several Malaysian state governments, the forum brought together senior officials, business executives, and investors from both sides. Discussions focused on opportunities in the Malaysian states of Kedah, Terengganu, and Kelantan, at a time when Egypt–Malaysia trade has declined by nearly 25% to around $720 million in 2025.
Speaking at the forum, Sherif El Gabaly, Chairman of the Egypt–Malaysia Business Council, highlighted significant untapped potential in halal ecosystems, manufacturing, and digitalization. He called for deeper, direct engagement between companies, stressing that bilateral trade should move beyond traditional palm oil exports. El Gabaly underscored Egypt’s growing role as an African manufacturing hub under the African Continental Free Trade Area and encouraged joint ventures in high-value sectors such as food processing, information technology, and advanced manufacturing.
Malaysia’s Chargé d’Affaires in Cairo, Rafedah Abdul Aziz, noted that Malaysia recorded $1 trillion in total trade in 2025, positioning Egypt as one of its most important partners in Africa. She said the forum aligns with Visit Malaysia Year 2026, aiming to promote trade, investment, and tourism, and urged Egyptian companies to engage directly with representatives from the participating Malaysian states. Priority sectors highlighted included palm oil, chemicals, machinery, electronics, and downstream manufacturing.
Representing Kelantan state, Mohamad Nasriff Daud outlined the state’s natural resource potential, noting that Kelantan is Malaysia’s leading gold producer and is rich in other minerals. He also pointed to major infrastructure upgrades, including a new international airport, and tourism attractions such as Southeast Asia’s highest waterfall. Daud emphasized opportunities in human capital development, citing Kelantan’s predominantly Muslim, bilingual workforce as an advantage for collaboration in education, halal industries, and resource development.
Across the discussions, speakers identified strong synergies in halal production, where Malaysia’s globally recognized certification expertise can complement Egypt’s large domestic market of more than 120 million people and its strategic access to the Middle East and Africa. Other areas of interest included technology transfer, joint manufacturing in Egypt’s economic zones, and cooperation on large-scale infrastructure and development projects.
Organized by MATRADE in partnership with Malaysia’s SG4 Group, the forum was widely seen as a strategic reset in Egypt–Malaysia economic relations. Egyptian companies were invited to visit Malaysian states and participate in upcoming events such as MIHAS 2026, with the goal of translating dialogue into concrete partnerships and long-term investment flows.
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