Egyptian Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, emphasized that elevating Egyptian-French relations to a strategic partnership level presents a strong opportunity to deepen investment and trade cooperation between the two countries. This comes as the Egyptian-French Business Forum 2026 commenced in Paris, featuring over 200 companies and institutions from both sides. The minister highlighted the current phase's focus on translating political and economic relations into practical investments, partnerships, and projects.
Dr. Saleh noted that Egypt's economy has demonstrated resilience in the face of consecutive shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian-Ukrainian war, the Gaza conflict, and Red Sea navigation disturbances. The government continues to implement reforms and develop infrastructure to support growth and employment. He also mentioned that the private sector's share in total investments has risen from less than 40% to around 65%, reflecting its increasing role in driving investment, production, exports, and job creation.
According to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report, Egypt attracted around $15.5 billion in foreign direct investments in 2025, leading African countries in this regard. The minister also reported that Egypt's economic growth rate increased to 5.1% during the 2025-2026 fiscal year, while the unemployment rate dropped to 5.8%, an all-time low. Furthermore, the Egyptian stock market's capitalization has risen to approximately 4.5 trillion pounds, compared to less than 300 billion pounds in 2011.
The trade exchange between Egypt and France reached around 3.08 billion euros in 2025, with Egyptian exports to France amounting to approximately 1.22 billion euros. The cumulative balance of French investments in Egypt stands at around $8.5 billion, with over 180 French companies operating directly in the Egyptian market and more than 950 French contributions to Egyptian companies.
Dr. Saleh invited the French business community to consider Egypt as a hub for investment, production, and export, citing the country's strategic location and access to over 100 markets. He emphasized the government's goal of creating an environment that allows the private sector to invest, compete, expand, and export with greater confidence and predictability.
The minister's meetings with the French business community aim to promote investment opportunities in priority sectors, attract more foreign investments, and transform economic strengths between Egypt and France into projects, investments, production, technology, exports, and job opportunities. This aligns with efforts to enhance economic cooperation and reinforce ties between the two nations.
Key aspects of Egypt's economic strategy involve leveraging partnerships with countries like France to drive growth and development. With a focus on creating a conducive business environment, Egypt seeks to increase its appeal to foreign investors. By highlighting its strategic advantages and economic potential, Egypt aims to solidify its position as a prime destination for investments in Africa.
Key points
- Egypt targets enhancing economic partnership with France to attract more investments.
- The Egyptian economy has shown resilience in the face of global challenges.
- Egypt's strategic location offers access to over 100 markets, making it an attractive hub for investment and export.
