Cairo: The Egypt-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Trade and Investment Forum was held in Cairo, bringing together ministers, senior officials, and chamber of commerce representatives from both Egypt and the GCC countries. According to Kuwait News Agency, GCC Secretary General Jasem Al-Budaiwi emphasized that the forum, themed "A Roadmap to Strengthening Egypt-Gulf Economic Cooperation," serves as a mechanism to advance economic and development partnerships. The event offers a platform for public-private dialogue on trade and investment. Al-Budaiwi pointed out the strong historical ties between Egypt and the Gulf states, referring to Egypt as a "second home" for these nations. He highlighted joint efforts under the 2024-28 action plan and noted significant trade and investment figures, with over USD 167 billion in Egypt-GCC trade from 2016 to 2023 and more than USD 40 billion in Gulf investment in Egypt during the fiscal year 2023-24. Al-Budaiwi stressed the importance of public-private integration for real d evelopment, with the private sector seen as a crucial growth partner. The forum is designed to facilitate discussions on the challenges, incentives, and guarantees for investors. Ahmad Al-Wakeel, Chairman of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, stated that Egypt offers opportunities in various sectors such as transport, logistics, services, industry, and trade. These opportunities are supported by reforms that have improved the investment climate and expanded market access through multiple trade agreements. Al-Wakeel added that Egypt is enhancing its logistics corridors and supply-chain links to establish itself as a regional hub for trade and re-export. Kuwait was represented by a delegation led by Minister of Commerce and Industry Khalifa Al-Ajeel. The delegation included Assistant Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Ambassador Sami Al-Hamad, Ambassador to Egypt Ghanim Al-Ghanim, and representatives from the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
