Egypt is seeking to elevate co-operation with Switzerland to the level of an industrial partnership, as Industry Minister Khaled Hashem and the Swiss Ambassador in Cairo Andreas Baum discussed on Thursday means of expanding collaboration in various key sectors.
The talks focused on pharmaceuticals, food industries, renewable energy solutions for factories, and the manufacturing of machinery and production lines.
During the meeting, Minister Hashem highlighted the strong historical relations between the two countries, noting that Switzerland’s expertise offers significant potential for localising industries and transferring advanced technologies to Egypt. He emphasised that the ministry’s current priority is to embed modern industrial knowledge in the local market and enhance the skills of Egyptian industrial cadres.
Ambassador Baum reaffirmed Switzerland’s commitment to strengthening co-operation, pointing to Egypt’s growing role as a key regional partner. He also noted Egypt’s trade surplus with Switzerland last year and ongoing co-operation with the Ministry of Industry and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) under the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme (GEIPP-Egypt).
The Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Egypt presented a report titled “Impact of Swiss Business in Egypt 2025”, which showed Switzerland among the top ten investors in Egypt. According to the report, bilateral trade reached $2.3 billion in 2025, foreign direct investment flows amounted to $600 million in 2023–2024, and more than 500 Swiss companies are operating in Egypt, providing around 25,000 direct jobs.
