The Egyptian-German Business Forum concludes its activities in Munich successfully

In a strategic step to deepen the economic partnership between Egypt and Germany, and with the participation of a high-level official Egyptian delegation, the Egyptian-German Business Forum concluded its activities with great success the day before yesterday. The forum was organized by the German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Egypt), as the initiator, and chaired by Engineer Ahmed El-Sewedy. The forum was held in Frankfurt and Munich, in cooperation with the German Chambers of Industry and Commerce in Frankfurt (IHK) and Munich and Upper Bavaria (IHK).

Participating in the forum, which featured intense activity reflecting the government’s commitment to strengthening its international partnerships, was an official delegation headed by Dr. Ahmed Kouchouk, Minister of Finance; Walid Gamal El-Din, Chairman of the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone; Dr. Mohamed El-Badri, Egyptian Ambassador to Germany; Amin Hassan, Egyptian Consul General in Frankfurt; and representatives of major German companies and leaders of the industrial sector, including members of the Board of Directors of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK) Egypt, headed by: Engineer Ahmed El-Sewedy; Engineer Alaa Kamal; Amir Riad; Stephanie Volz; Engineer Mohamed El-Sheikh; Mustafa El-Bagoury; and Thomas Koval.

The delegation was accompanied by Ms. Marine Diala, Executive Director of AHK Egypt, and Karen El-Shafei, Head of Operations at the Chamber.
During the forum, Ahmed Kouchouk, Minister of Finance, reviewed the government’s efforts to stimulate investment through tax incentives and financial policies that support production and exports, in addition to promoting promising investment opportunities in priority development sectors for German companies.
He emphasized that the balanced results of the financial and economic performance during the past fiscal year were achieved thanks to the private sector’s response to government initiatives. He explained that Egypt is committed to providing clear and predictable investment costs and ensuring a transparent environment so that foreign companies are not exposed to any hidden costs that could affect their profitability or hinder their expansion plans. He emphasized that Egypt boasts a stable tax policy at 22.5%, which is a competitive rate.

For his part, Walid Gamal El-Din, Chairman of the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone, presented the most prominent investment advantages enjoyed by the zone, pointing to the integration of six seaports on the Mediterranean and Red Seas with four industrial and logistics zones, in addition to world-class infrastructure.

He explained that the Authority aims to localize 21 industrial, logistics, and service sectors, while taking advantage of free trade agreements that provide access to approximately two billion consumers around the world. The forum featured extensive activities, including an official meeting with Mr. Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy, and Kawa Mansouri, Minister of Economy and Transport of the German state of Hesse. The meeting addressed prospects for Egyptian-Bavarian economic cooperation and ways to support partnerships between companies from both sides.

Ms. Marine Diala, Executive Director of the AHK Egypt Chamber, explained that organizing the forum comes within the framework of the long-standing bilateral partnership between Egypt and Germany and affirms the Chamber’s commitment to its role as a key catalyst for strengthening economic ties between the two countries by building bridges between the public and private sectors.

In his speech, Engineer Ahmed El-Sewedy, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Egypt, emphasized that labor costs and production economies in Egypt are cheaper than in any other country, making it an attractive and ideal environment for foreign investment.
He added, “I own industrial companies operating in 52 countries around the world, and despite this widespread presence, Egypt remains the most competitive among these countries. The Egyptian market is characterized by a young workforce with an average age of 24, providing a dynamic workforce that supports economic growth.” He explained that, in support of this trend, the Egyptian government has established 18 modern industrial zones in recent years, equipped with advanced infrastructure and integrated logistics services aimed at facilitating production and export operations. These zones offer various facilities to investors.

Amir Riad, a member of the Board of Directors of the German Chambers of Industry (AHK Egypt) and the Arab-German Chamber of Commerce in Berlin, emphasized that Egypt is Germany’s ideal industrial partner for establishing regional manufacturing centers serving Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, in light of the growing European trend to reduce reliance on Asian markets, particularly China.
He explained that Egypt is not only a promising market with a population exceeding 105 million, growing at a rate of 2.5 million people annually, but also an ideal investment destination for Europe, particularly Germany, especially in light of geopolitical shifts. This is due to Egypt’s many advantages, most notably: a strategic geographic location as a link between the world’s continents and adjacent to the European market; low production costs compared to countries in the Far East; approximately 12% of global trade passing through the Suez Canal; and extensive free trade agreements that allow re-export to Europe without customs restrictions.

Amir Riad added that Egyptian-German relations are witnessing an unprecedented boom in cooperation across various levels. Germany is one of Egypt’s most important trading partners within the European Union, with trade volume between Egypt and Germany exceeding 7 billion euros this year, according to economic estimates, placing Germany at the forefront of Egypt’s trading partners in Europe.
In a related context, the members of the Board of Directors of the Chamber (AHK Egypt) reviewed, throughout the forum’s activities, during intensive bilateral sessions and (B2B) meetings with representatives of major German companies, their successful experiences based on Egyptian-German partnerships. They leveraged their specialized expertise in industrial cooperation between the two countries to promote investment and work in Egypt, thanks to its competitive advantages and advanced infrastructure, as well as to enhance direct communication and activate potential partnerships in the fields of energy, industry, infrastructure, technology, and smart transportation.

Karen El Shafei, Head of Operations at the German Chamber of Commerce (AHK) Egypt, noted that the participation of Egyptian government representatives in the forum comes in light of the state’s ongoing and supportive efforts to improve the investment climate and maximize private sector participation by attracting more foreign direct investment, thus enhancing the path to comprehensive and sustainable development.
At the conclusion of the event, participants from both the Egyptian and German sides emphasized that this forum represents a qualitative shift in the path of economic cooperation between the two countries and paves the way for long-term strategic partnerships in sectors that represent a priority for the future.