Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi heads to the Republic of Korea today at the start of an Asian tour that will also include the Kingdom of Malaysia and the Republic of Indonesia.
The tour begins with a state visit to South Korea, where Al-Sisi will hold talks with President Lee Jae-myung and participate in a roundtable with the heads and representatives of major Korean companies, presidential spokesman Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy said. The Asian tour will then continue with a state visit to Malaysia and a visit to Indonesia, El-Shennawy added.
At Lee’s invitation, Al-Sisi will arrive in Korea on Wednesday and meet with Lee Thursday during a three-day stay, South Korean presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing.
“Through the summit, (the two leaders) plan to hold in-depth discussions on economic cooperation, such as trade and investment, infrastructure and supply chains, as well as expanding people-to-people exchanges, the regional political situation and international issues,” she said.
“We expect President Al-Sisi’s state visit to serve as an important opportunity to develop Korea-Egypt ties into a strategic partnership and further strengthen our country’s cooperation with Africa and the Middle East,” Kang said.
The trip serves as an opportunity for Egypt to leverage its position as a full BRICS member and a gateway to African and Middle Eastern markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), while addressing deep trade deficits with its Asian partners.
Al-Sisi’s arrival in Seoul returns a four-and-a-half-hour Cairo summit held on 20 November 2025—Lee’s first to Egypt since taking office in June 2025—which coincided with the 30th anniversary of full diplomatic ties. During that summit, the leaders signed three agreements covering education, culture, and digital government, while Seoul launched a new Middle East initiative called SHINE and pledged $10m to the Egyptian Red Crescent for Gaza refugees. Cairo pitched for Korean investment in information technology, artificial intelligence, automotive manufacturing, petrochemicals, shipbuilding, and mining, emphasising localisation.
Defence remains a sharp edge of the bilateral relationship. Following a $1.7bn contract signed in 2022 with a Korean defence firm for K9 self-propelled howitzers, leaders previously discussed widening defence cooperation beyond K9 co-production into aircraft and ground weapons systems. Al-Sisi last visited Seoul in March 2016, raising the relationship to a comprehensive partnership.
Trade figures between Egypt and South Korea vary depending on the source. The Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) recorded $995.3m in bilateral trade from January to September 2025, heavily skewed to Korean exports, with Egyptian exports at $56.1m against imports of $939.2m. Conversely, Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk stated trade reached $1.6bn in 2024, with Korean foreign direct investment in Egypt exceeding $6bn to date. Meanwhile, Korean officials reported cumulative investment of $930m in 2024. South Korea maintains Egypt as its only Official Development Assistance (ODA) priority partner in the Middle East and North Africa, with a total volume of $350m, including a $460m financing agreement for 40 train units for Cairo Metro lines 2 and 3.
Following Seoul, Al-Sisi will make a state visit to Malaysia, building on relations that marked their 65th anniversary in 2024. A key reset occurred during Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s official visit to Cairo in November 2024, where both sides agreed to work towards a strategic partnership. Anwar sought Al-Sisi’s support for Malaysia’s bid for full BRICS membership, and the leaders met again at the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi in September. A watch point for the Kuala Lumpur leg is whether the long-flagged strategic partnership upgrade is officially signed.
Bilateral trade with Malaysia hit a record $718m in 2025. Egyptian exports to Malaysia grew more than 22%, led by citrus, while potato exports jumped 146%. The reactivated Joint Trade and Investment Committee has been tasked with focusing on semiconductors, renewable energy, the halal industry, and digital transformation. Al-Azhar remains the anchor of soft power; Anwar’s 2024 trip included memorandums of understanding with the institution.
Al-Sisi’s final stop is Indonesia, a relationship with deep historical roots, as Egypt was the first country to recognise Indonesia’s independence in 1947. Momentum has accelerated under Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who visited Cairo twice recently. On 12 April 2025, the two nations upgraded ties to a strategic partnership covering manufacturing, trade, ICT, and defence training.
The Gaza dimension provides the Jakarta leg with significant geopolitical weight. At the Board of Peace in February, Prabowo pledged up to 8,000 troops and accepted a deputy commander role in the International Stabilization Force (ISF). With Indonesian forces expected in Rafah, the sector bordering Egypt, and Egypt and Jordan committed to training a future Palestinian police force, border coordination and ISF logistics are expected on the agenda.
Trade with Indonesia reached $2.38bn in 2025, making Egypt Indonesia’s top trade partner in North Africa. However, Indonesia ran a $1.50bn surplus. A trade deal is currently on the table, with Egypt signalling readiness for parallel negotiations on a Preferential Trade Agreement and a broader Free Trade Agreement.