President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Saturday inaugurated the first edition of the Alamein-Africa Forum, hosted by Egypt in New Alamein City.
Presidential Spokesman Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy said the forum stems from an Egyptian initiative endorsed by the African Union. The event will be held biennially in El Alamein and is jointly organised by the Egyptian government, the African Union Commission, the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).
The inaugural edition has attracted high-level participation, including several African heads of state and senior officials, alongside leaders of international and regional financial institutions and private-sector executives from Africa and beyond.
Platform for boosting partnerships, investment
El-Shennawy said the forum provides a strategic platform to strengthen partnerships between African governments, the private sector and entrepreneurs from across the continent and abroad.
He added that the forum aims to enhance the role of the private sector in promoting inclusive and sustainable development in Africa, while accelerating the implementation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
The event also seeks to boost intra-African trade, deepen economic integration among African countries, mobilise partnerships for development projects, expand financing and investment opportunities, and support promising and emerging economic sectors.
The first edition features specialised sessions focusing on key economic and development challenges facing Africa. It also includes an exhibition showcasing leading African companies and a dedicated area for start-ups, with participation from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from several African countries.
The forum is hosting bilateral and multilateral meetings between government officials, business leaders and representatives of financial and economic institutions to expand opportunities for co-operation, investment and cross-border partnerships.
The opening session featured speeches by Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Co-operation and Egyptian Expatriates, the President of Afreximbank, the Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, a prominent African businessman and the President of Burundi, who currently serves as Chairperson of the African Union.
Sisi highlights global challenges
In his address, President Sisi welcomed participants to Egypt and New Alamein City, describing the city as a place with a rich historical legacy that has become a model of modern development and prosperity.
He said the forum is taking place at a critical moment, as the world faces successive crises and rapid transformations. Geopolitical tensions, he noted, are increasingly intertwined with economic and development challenges, while global production, energy and technology landscapes continue to shift.
El-Sisi stressed the importance of strengthening national capabilities to confront these challenges and build a better future for citizens.
“Economic development cannot be built in unstable countries. Stability is not a luxury; it is a fundamental pillar,” he said, noting that investors, manufacturers and farmers all require a safe and stable environment to achieve their goals.
Call for stability, African co-operation
Turning to Africa, El-Sisi said security begins with supporting national institutions, respecting the unity and sovereignty of states, and prioritising peaceful solutions to conflicts and crises.
He also emphasised the importance of good neighbourly relations and greater economic co-operation among African countries.
El-Sisi said Egypt has consistently supported this approach as part of its deep-rooted African identity, highlighting Cairo’s efforts to launch and back development and economic initiatives across the continent.
He has made it clear that Egypt believes Africa’s development, independence and prosperity are legitimate rights that must be safeguarded.
The President described the forum as a strategic continental platform for advancing the objectives of Agenda 2063. It also offers African businesses an opportunity to engage directly with political leaders, discuss private-sector challenges and build cross-border partnerships.
Private sector’s key role
Highlighting the private sector’s contribution to African economies, President El-Sisi said it accounts for more than 70 per cent of the continent’s GDP.
He also noted that around 85 per cent of transactions carried out by African private-sector companies are conducted with businesses outside the continent.
According to Sisi, more than half of African SMEs lack sufficient information about opportunities in neighbouring markets, prompting many to seek opportunities in more distant international markets instead.
Despite trade agreements and preferential arrangements linking African countries, intra-African trade has accounted for only around 18 per cent of the continent’s total trade in recent years, he said.
Bridging Africa’s trade gap
President Sisi explained that the forum was established to help bridge this gap by improving direct communication between African investors and private-sector stakeholders while helping businesses identify opportunities across the continent.
He also underlined the importance of implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement and achieving the development goals of Agenda 2063.
Africa’s youth, global influence
Describing Africa as a young and dynamic continent, Sisi noted that young people represent around 65 per cent of its population. He also highlighted the continent’s vast natural and human resources.
He said African countries are becoming increasingly influential within the international community and are seeking a greater role in shaping the global order.
A vision for the future
The President called for a world founded on peace and stability, saying Africa should not bear the burden of global crises in which it played no part.
He pointed to the global energy crisis as an example, noting that rising fuel and fertiliser prices, along with supply chain disruptions, continue to place additional pressure on African economies.
“Our goal is clear: to build modern states capable of keeping pace with rapid global economic transformations and shaping a more just and sustainable future,” Sisi said.
He expressed confidence that “the 21st century will be an African century par excellence” if African countries succeed in strengthening collective action.
Cross-border business opportunities
Sisi urged participants to engage actively in the forum’s sessions and use the event as an opportunity to explore new areas of co-operation.
He also voiced hope that discussions and bilateral meetings would lead to an increase in cross-border business partnerships.
Special attention was given to the start-up platform, which he described as representing “the promising future of our African economies”.
Leaders tour economic exhibition
Following the opening session, Sisi, accompanied by African heads of state and delegation leaders, toured the economic exhibition held on the sidelines of the forum.
Participants were briefed on major programmes and projects being implemented by participating organisations to advance continental integration.
The tour included the pavilions of Afreximbank, AUDA-NEPAD and Egypt.
