Cairo: As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen economic and trade relations between Egypt and Singapore, Commercial Minister Plenipotentiary Sayed Fouad, Director of the Asian Countries Department at the Egyptian Commercial Service (ECS), held a meeting with Director of the South Asia, Middle East, and Africa Department at the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry Francis Chong, along with his accompanying delegation.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the meeting took place on the sidelines of their visit to Egypt from 25 to 28 November 2025, during which a number of issues of mutual interest were discussed. The ECS coordinated this visit for the Singaporean delegation with several Egyptian entities, including the Egyptian Customs Authority, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and the Egyptian Businessmen's Association.
First Undersecretary of the Ministry and Head of the Egyptian Commercial Service Abdel Aziz El-Sherif stated that this meeting comes as part of following up on the outcomes of the visit by Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of Singapore, to Egypt on 21 September 2025, during which he met with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
The head of the ECS explained that trade exchange between Egypt and Singapore in 2024 reached approximately $360 million, including $93 million in Egyptian exports-an amount considered low compared to the export potential of Egyptian companies-and $276 million in imports from Singapore. Singaporean investments in Egypt reached about $132 million, represented by 140 companies operating in various sectors in the Egyptian market.
El-Sherif emphasized that the ECS is keen to increase Egyptian exports to the Singaporean market, noting that the Egyptian industrial sector has significantly developed over the past two decades and is capable of meeting the needs of Singapore and neighboring markets. He also stressed the importance of encouraging private-sector partnerships between Egypt and Singapore and attracting Singaporean investments to sectors prioritized by Egypt, such as water desalination and treatment, pharmaceutical industries, new and renewable energy, textiles, information and communication technology, port management and logistics, and semiconductors and microelectronics.
He also highlighted the focus on enhancing industrial cooperation between the two countries and taking advantage of the free trade and preferential agreements signed between them to increase access for Egyptian and Singaporean products to regional and international markets.
The ECS and the visiting delegation agreed to prepare a list of investment projects that require foreign investment. This list will be delivered to Enterprise Singapore, affiliated with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, to be circulated to companies interested in entering the Egyptian market.
The meeting was attended by Commercial Minister Plenipotentiary Alaa El-Beily, Director of the Investment Promotion Affairs Department, and Commercial Counselor Ahmed Seif El-Nasr of the Asian and Oceanian Countries Affairs Department at the Economic Commercial Service.