Egypt-France Business Forum opens in Paris with participation of over 200 companies

Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Farid opened the 2026 Egypt-France Business Forum on Monday at the Luxembourg Palace in Paris, home of the French Senate, with more than 200 Egyptian and French companies and institutions participating alongside French officials and representatives of the business, investment, and financial communities.

Farid said the forum comes at an important stage in Egyptian-French relations, particularly following the elevation of ties between the two countries to a strategic partnership. The current phase, he said, aims to translate strong political and economic relations into investments, partnerships, and concrete projects.

Farid reviewed developments in the Egyptian economy in recent years, noting that economies and markets have faced a series of challenges and shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, the war in Gaza, and disruptions to navigation in the Red Sea and Suez Canal. These developments have had direct repercussions for global trade, energy and food prices, supply chains, and capital flows.

He said that despite the repercussions of these tensions and crises, the Egyptian government had continued to build, reform, and invest in the future.

Over the past decade, the government has made substantial investments to upgrade and develop infrastructure, including roads, ports, energy networks, new cities, and the logistics system, laying the foundations for an economy better positioned to produce and export, he said.

The Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade said the most significant development at the current stage is the increase in the private sector’s share of total investment from less than 40% at an earlier stage to around 65% currently. This reflects a shift towards an economic model that gives the private sector a greater role in driving investment, production, exports, and job creation, he added.

Farid said foreign direct investment indicators also reflect this shift. FDI inflows into Egypt reached around $15.5bn in 2025, according to a UNCTAD report, making Egypt the largest recipient of foreign direct investment in Africa and accounting for around 22% of total inflows to the continent.

He also addressed developments in Egypt’s capital market, saying the Egyptian Exchange’s market capitalisation had increased from less than EGP 300bn in 2011 to around EGP 4.5tn currently, alongside an expansion in the investor base and increased market activity.

Farid said the real economy had also demonstrated its ability to recover and continue growing, with economic growth reaching 5.1% in FY2025/2026, while unemployment declined from around 8% in 2020 to 5.8% currently, its lowest level on record.

He said these indicators reflect two fundamental points: first, the Egyptian economy’s ability to absorb successive shocks and maintain momentum; and second, that policy consistency, rapid responses, and a greater role for the private sector can strengthen the economy’s ability to deal with crises and turn them into opportunities for growth.

The Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade said Egypt is adopting an economic model that places the private sector at the heart of the development process through an integrated framework encompassing investment, trade, fiscal and monetary policies, a clearer role for the state, improved regulation, deeper digital transformation, and greater use of data.

The objective, he said, is to create an environment in which the private sector can invest, compete, expand, and export with greater confidence, clarity, and predictability.

Farid said trade between Egypt and France reached around €3.08bn in 2025, while Egyptian exports to France stood at around €1.22bn.

French investment in Egypt also has a strong and diversified presence, he said, with the cumulative stock of French investment flows reaching around $8.5bn. More than 180 French companies operate directly in Egypt, while there are more than 950 French shareholdings in Egyptian companies.

Farid said these figures provide a strong foundation on which to build, while there remains considerable scope to increase investment, trade, and partnerships between the two countries in the coming period.

Addressing the French business community, Farid said: “Egypt aims to become a hub for investment, growth, production, and exports for French companies already operating in the Egyptian market, as well as for companies considering entering the market for the first time.”

He also highlighted Egypt’s competitive operating costs and preferential access to more than 100 markets, making the country a production and export platform connecting Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

Farid concluded by saying the Egypt-France Business Forum represents a practical opportunity to identify the next investment, expansion, and partnership between Egypt and France, turning economic strengths into projects, investment, production, technology, exports, and jobs.