Ahmed Rostom, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, met with Haythham El Maayergi, Executive Vice President of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), to discuss advancing bilateral cooperation and supporting Egypt’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.
The meeting was attended by Amr El Abd, Adviser to the Prime Minister for Entrepreneurship; Heba Zaki, Director of the Egypt Entrepreneurship Centre; Mohamed Metwaly, Managing Director of NI Capital; and senior ministry officials.
Rostom underscored the strategic importance of Egypt’s partnership with Afreximbank, noting its role in driving regional integration, promoting intra-African trade, expanding digital solutions, and strengthening cross-border payment infrastructure. He stressed the government’s commitment to deepening cooperation in priority areas—particularly empowering start-ups, supporting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and enabling Egyptian companies to expand into African markets.
He praised ongoing coordination between Afreximbank and the Central Bank of Egypt, citing the recent memorandum of understanding to establish a Gold Bank programme in Egypt as a model for strengthening continental economic capabilities.
Discussions also focused on opportunities to align Afreximbank’s support with Egypt’s executive framework for entrepreneurship and innovation. Rostom highlighted initiatives to improve financing conditions, facilitate expansion and exit opportunities, and strengthen supportive policies through the Ministerial Group for Entrepreneurship. He emphasized the importance of close coordination to define priority areas and advance the planned fund of funds for financing entrepreneurship, enabling start-ups to scale regionally and internationally.
The talks explored cooperation in equity investment, start-up listing pathways, and regulatory tools to facilitate regional expansion. They also reviewed prospects for a dedicated investment fund targeting promising SMEs in partnership with NI Capital, aimed at supporting companies with international growth potential.
The meeting concluded with agreement to strengthen collaboration between Afreximbank and the Egypt Entrepreneurship Centre, enhancing its programmes and capacity to accommodate the anticipated expansion of innovation support activities in the coming period.
