Arab Finance: Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El-Khatib has opened the Egypt-Qatar Investment Forum, on December 14^th, amid strengthened economic and investment relations, as per a statement.

Senior officials and representatives of the business communities from both countries attended the forum in Cairo.

In his speech, El-Khatib said ties between the two countries are built on solid foundations of trust and cooperation, reflected in stronger economic indicators.

Qatari investments in Egypt stand at about $3.2 billion across more than 266 companies operating in various sectors, including finance, industry, and tourism, he noted.

Trade between the two countries has also gained momentum, rising to $143 million in the first 10 months of 2025 from about $80 million in 2023, marking an increase of nearly 80%, El-Khatib added.

Moreover, El-Khatib said economic relations have received a strong boost recently, citing the announcement of a new package of Qatari investments in Egypt, led by the Alam Elroum project on the North Coast as part of a major partnership in the tourism and urban development sector.

He stated that Egypt aims to further strengthen its position as an attractive investment destination, highlighting competitive advantages built over the past decade through heavy investment in infrastructure, including roads, ports, modern logistics zones, and a new generation of smart cities.

On the monetary policy front, El-Khatib said disciplined policies helped bring inflation down to 12.3% in November 2025, while foreign reserves rose to $50.2 billion and remittances from Egyptians abroad increased to $36.5 billion, supporting macroeconomic stability and restoring confidence.

Additionally, he stressed that successive fiscal reforms contributed to expanding the tax base by about 35% without imposing new tax burdens.

The government is also moving to reduce non-tax financial burdens by reviewing fees imposed on investors and companies, while unifying points of contact and accelerating digital transformation to cut investment costs and enhance transparency, the minister illustrated.

Egypt has adopted an open and flexible trade policy aimed at reducing the trade deficit by boosting exports to $145 billion, simplifying procedures, and cutting their cost by about 90%, while making better use of trade agreements and protecting local industry, El-Khatib elaborated.

Furthermore, the minister said Egypt is targeting a place among the world’s top 50 countries in investment and trade competitiveness indicators within the next two years.

To support Qatari investors, El-Khatib mentioned that Egypt has formed a dedicated committee with representatives from relevant authorities to facilitate investment and trade procedures, address challenges, and provide necessary incentives to further deepen economic cooperation between the two countries.

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