Egypt, Saudi Arabia hold talks on trade, investment under Supreme Coordination Council
Updated 10/7/2025 8:13:00 AM
Arab Finance: The Egyptian-Saudi Supreme Coordination Council’s Economic Committee held its first meeting in Cairo on October 6th, chaired by Egyptian Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El-Khatib, to discuss ways to enhance trade and investment cooperation between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as per a statement.
El-Khatib said the committee’s formation reflects the directives of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to strengthen strategic cooperation between the two countries across economic and developmental fields.
The minister noted that the committee includes representatives from ministries and bodies overseeing industry, transport, finance, planning, international cooperation, communications, electricity, petroleum, agriculture, environment, and tourism, in addition to the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) and the Industrial Development Authority (IDA).
This, he said, underscores Egypt’s commitment to aligning efforts and integrating visions across sectors.
El-Khatib stressed that the meeting marks a significant step toward advancing bilateral economic cooperation and unlocking new investment opportunities that contribute to sustainable development and closer economic integration between the two nations.
He added that both sides attach great importance to expanding mutual investments, with promising prospects for joint projects between Egyptian and Saudi companies.
These include increasing Saudi investments in Egypt and supporting Egyptian firms operating in the Kingdom.
According to El-Khatib, Saudi investments in Egypt currently amount to around $25 billion, making the Kingdom one of the largest investors in the Egyptian market.
He said the government has already addressed about 90% of challenges facing Saudi investors, with ongoing efforts to resolve the remaining issues.
El-Khatib emphasized the importance of activating the Egyptian-Saudi Joint Business Council and implementing the joint investment agreement signed last year to expand trade exchange between the two countries.
He also outlined the Economic Committee’s five main areas of focus, including enhancing trade cooperation and balancing the trade deficit by removing barriers to trade; boosting investment coordination between the Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE) and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) to increase joint projects.
It also focus on achieving industrial integration through identifying 28 industries with high potential for value-added cooperation and improving customs, transport, and logistics to facilitate movement between the two countries. This is in addition to promoting cooperation in digital commerce and electronic payments to support ongoing digital transformation in both economies.
El-Khatib concluded that through continuous coordination and joint planning, Egypt and Saudi Arabia aim to build a new phase of strategic economic partnership that maximizes mutual benefits and reinforces their positions as regional investment hubs.
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