Egypt’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El-Khatib inaugurated the Egypt-Qatar Business Forum, aimed at strengthening economic, trade, and investment relations between the two countries.
The forum was attended by Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed, alongside a delegation of Qatari officials, and saw broad participation from business leaders from both nations.
El-Khatib said Egypt–Qatar relations are built on solid foundations of trust and cooperation, noting that Qatari investments in Egypt amount to around $3.2bn across more than 266 companies, spanning sectors such as finance, industry, tourism, and services.
He highlighted the rapid growth in bilateral trade, which increased from $80m in 2023 to $143m during the first ten months of 2025, marking a rise of nearly 80% and reflecting expanding economic cooperation and business opportunities for companies in both countries.
The minister pointed to recent high-level engagements, including President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s meeting with Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, which helped pave the way for new Qatari investments in Egypt. Among these is the development of the Al-Alamein (Alam Al-Rom) area on the North Coast, as part of a major tourism and urban development partnership.
El-Khatib outlined Egypt’s key advantages as an investment destination, citing its strategic geographic location, skilled workforce at competitive costs, and a stable business environment capable of supporting a wide range of projects. He also highlighted major infrastructure upgrades over the past decade, including roads, ports, logistics centres, and new smart cities, which have laid a strong foundation for future investment.
He added that Egypt is continuing structural and institutional reforms to enhance investor confidence, streamline procedures, and improve transparency through digital platforms, including the recently launched investment licensing platform and the upcoming economic entities platform, both designed to simplify processes and reduce costs.
The forum showcased opportunities for joint industrial projects between Egypt and Qatar, particularly in automotive components, glass, textiles, polyester, aluminium, tourism and integrated urban development, energy, and renewable energy. El-Khatib stressed the importance of forging strategic partnerships that combine Qatari capital and expertise with Egypt’s production capacity and competitive advantages.
A specialised committee has been formed to facilitate investment and trade procedures for Qatari companies in Egypt, helping to address challenges and ensure smoother cooperation.
El-Khatib concluded by urging business leaders from both countries to use the forum as a platform to exchange expertise, explore opportunities, and build partnerships that maximise economic returns while strengthening Egypt’s and Qatar’s positions in regional and global markets.
