The Egyptian Commercial Service (ECS) in Berlin, headed by Minister Plenipotentiary for Commercial Affairs Maha Zakaria, has announced that a German business delegation from North Rhine-Westphalia will visit Egypt in December. The visit comes as part of preparations for the second edition of the Egypt–North Rhine-Westphalia Economic Summit, scheduled to take place in Cairo in mid-2025.
The ECS visit to North Rhine-Westphalia, joined by Egypt’s Ambassador to Germany Mohamed Elbadri, included a series of high-level meetings with senior officials and business leaders. Discussions were held with the President of the Düsseldorf Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK Düsseldorf), the President of Messe Düsseldorf, the state’s Minister for Federal, European, International Affairs and Media, and the Minister of Economic Affairs.
A roundtable was also convened with German companies and business associations interested in exploring investment opportunities in the Egyptian market.
According to the ECS, the meetings concluded with an agreement to hold the second edition of the bilateral Economic Summit in Cairo. The summit will be chaired by the Minister for Federal, European, International Affairs and Media of North Rhine-Westphalia, who will lead a delegation of German business leaders keen on expanding their operations in Egypt.
Preparations for the summit will begin in the coming months, reflecting the growing weight of economic ties between Egypt and Germany’s largest industrial state. The December delegation visit will serve as an exploratory mission, helping to build direct communication channels between the two countries’ business communities.
Abdel Aziz El-Sherif, Head of the ECS, underscored the strategic importance of North Rhine-Westphalia, describing it as one of Germany’s most dynamic economic hubs. He said the upcoming summit offers “a valuable opportunity to deepen bilateral cooperation and open new horizons for German investment in Egypt.”
El-Sherif also pointed to the steady growth in German investment in Egypt. By the end of February 2025, German investments had increased by 3.5% to nearly $3bn, up from $2.9bn in June 2024. The number of German companies operating in Egypt also rose to 1,738, compared to 1,609 previously.
“These indicators reflect a growing confidence in the Egyptian market and a clear momentum in our economic relations with Germany,” El-Sherif said.
