Cairo:Egypt is partnering with the World Bank Group to create an investment promotion strategy aimed at maximizing the economic benefits of foreign investment, enhancing productive capacity, and boosting exports. This initiative focuses on directing investments toward sectors prioritized for development and activities connected to global value chains, as announced by Investment and Foreign Trade Minister Mohamed Farid.
According to State Information Service Egypt, Farid shared these insights during a session titled “The Role of the Private Sector in Financing Development in Developing Countries” at the 2026 World Investment Forum. The forum, organized by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), took place in Doha, Qatar, and included participation from officials, experts, and representatives of financial and development institutions.
The strategy aims to identify priority sectors and opportunities within value chains to direct investment toward enhancing production capacity and exports. It also seeks to strengthen connections between major projects and local suppliers and manufacturers, and capitalize on manufacturing opportunities related to renewable energy projects.
Farid emphasized the necessity of stable economic policies, streamlined investment procedures, and leveraging Egypt’s trade agreements to attract long-term private investment. He highlighted the importance of preparing bankable projects by conducting technical and economic studies, developing financial models, identifying risks, and building institutional capacity, particularly in infrastructure, water, and energy sectors.
He also noted the need to develop domestic capital markets and provide investment guarantees and risk-mitigation mechanisms to mobilize savings and diversify development financing. This is crucial amid high global interest rates, competition for capital, and a shift toward fast-growing sectors such as artificial intelligence.
Regarding Africa, Farid advocated for greater integration of capital markets and harmonized regulations to facilitate cross-border investment in public offerings and expand the investor base. He stressed that harmonizing standards and trade procedures under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) would support industrial integration and help African companies expand into new markets.
Farid concluded by stating that strengthening the private sector’s role in development financing requires an integrated framework based on stable economic policies, identifying production and export opportunities, preparing projects for financing, developing financial markets, and deepening economic integration among African nations.