Egypt-France business forum opens in Paris with 200 companies

PARIS (MNTV) — Egypt opened its 2026 business forum with France in Paris, bringing together more than 200 Egyptian and French companies and institutions as Cairo seeks to expand investment, trade and economic partnerships.

Egyptian Investment and Foreign Trade Minister Mohamed Farid opened the forum Monday at the Luxembourg Palace, the seat of the French Senate, with French officials and representatives from business, investment and financial sectors in attendance. 

Daily News Egypt reported that the event comes as bilateral relations have been elevated to a strategic partnership.

Farid said the forum was intended to translate the two countries’ political and economic relations into new investments, commercial partnerships and concrete projects. 

He also outlined the pressures affecting Egypt and other economies, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, the war in Gaza and disruptions affecting navigation through the Red Sea and Suez Canal.

According to Farid, these developments have affected international trade, energy and food prices, supply chains and movements of capital. He said Egypt had continued investing in infrastructure and implementing economic reforms despite those disruptions.

Over the past decade, Egypt has invested heavily in roads, ports, energy infrastructure, new cities and logistics networks, which Farid said were intended to strengthen the country’s capacity to produce and export.

He said the private sector now accounts for about 65% of total investment, compared with less than 40% previously, describing the change as part of a broader economic model in which private businesses play a larger role in investment, production, exports and employment.

Foreign investment has also increased, Farid said, citing UNCTAD figures showing that Egypt received about $15.5 billion in foreign direct investment in 2025. 

That figure made Egypt Africa’s largest recipient of FDI and represented about 22% of the continent’s total inflows, according to the minister.

Farid also highlighted the expansion of Egypt’s capital market. He said the Egyptian Exchange’s market capitalization had risen from below EGP 300 billion in 2011 to about EGP 4.5 trillion, alongside growth in the number of investors and market activity.

Egypt’s economy grew by 5.1% during the 2025/2026 fiscal year, while unemployment fell from about 8% in 2020 to 5.8%, which Farid described as the country’s lowest recorded level.

The minister said Egypt was pursuing an economic framework centered on private-sector participation, combining investment and trade policies with fiscal and monetary measures, regulatory reforms, digital transformation and greater use of data.

He said the government aims to provide businesses with a more predictable environment in which they can invest, compete, expand and export.

Economic ties between Egypt and France remain significant. Bilateral trade reached approximately €3.08 billion in 2025, while Egyptian exports to France totaled about €1.22 billion, according to Farid.

French investment in Egypt has also expanded across several sectors, with the cumulative value of French investment flows reaching approximately $8.5 billion. More than 180 French companies operate directly in Egypt, while French investors hold more than 950 stakes in Egyptian companies.

Farid said the existing economic relationship provides a foundation for further cooperation, while opportunities remain to increase trade, investment and business partnerships.

He told French businesses that Egypt seeks to serve as a base for investment, production and exports, emphasizing the country’s access to more than 100 markets and its geographic position linking Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

The minister said the forum was designed to turn existing economic strengths into specific projects and partnerships involving investment, production, technology, exports and employment.