Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Farid Saleh stressed on Friday, August 7, 2026, the importance of enhancing the private sector's role in advancing economic, trade and investment ties between Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), expanding joint investments and broadening bilateral economic cooperation.
Farid made the remarks during a meeting with UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Trade Ministers' Meeting in Jaipur, India. According to a ministry statement issued Friday, the two ministers discussed ways to deepen bilateral economic, trade and investment relations and explored new opportunities for strategic partnership.
The minister stressed the importance of continued coordination between the two countries in the areas of investment and foreign trade, particularly in digital transformation and the digitalization of government services. He said Egypt is keen to benefit from the UAE's experience in developing digital platforms and streamlining services for investors.
The two sides also reviewed prospects for expanding cooperation in African markets by building on the strengths of both countries to launch joint initiatives and projects, strengthen their economic presence across the continent, and create new opportunities for private-sector participation.
Farid highlighted the importance of reactivating the Egyptian-UAE Joint Business Council as a key mechanism for strengthening ties between the two countries' business communities, promoting two-way investment, and fostering commercial and investment partnerships.
He also invited the UAE side to organize a visit to Egypt by members of the UAE Investors Abroad Council, headed by Al Zeyoudi, following the announcement of the council's new formation, to explore investment opportunities and examine prospects for partnerships in priority sectors.
Farid said Egypt offers attractive investment opportunities across a broad range of sectors, supported by modern infrastructure, industrial and logistics hubs, and an extensive network of free trade agreements that provides investors with preferential access to Arab, African and European markets.
He noted that Egyptian exports to the UAE rose from approximately dlrs 1.22 billion in 2021 to dlrs 6.99 billion in 2025, an increase of about 475%, while imports from the UAE grew from dlrs 2.46 billion to dlrs 2.69 billion during the same period. Farid added that bilateral trade between Egypt and the UAE totaled approximately dlrs 9.68 billion in 2025, with Egypt recording a trade surplus of around dlrs 4.3 billion.
The two ministers agreed to maintain close coordination in the coming period, strengthen cooperation between the public and private sectors, and address challenges facing investors to unlock new opportunities for bilateral economic and investment partnership. List of government, foreign universities and institutes accredited in Egypt