Kouchouk: Egypt to remain Africa’s gateway to European, Asian markets

Ahmed Kouchouk, Minister of Finance, affirmed that Egypt, with its leadership, capabilities, and economic strength, will remain a key gateway for African countries to access European and Asian markets. He stressed the importance of presenting a unified African voice in international forums to address the continent’s development needs, emphasizing that Africa’s future must be shaped collectively with a vision that responds to shared challenges and ambitions.

Kouchouk told the Africa 2025 Summit in London, which brought together numerous African leaders from the economic and political spheres, after receiving the award for Best Finance Minister in Africa, that Africa’s vast capabilities must be transformed into promising investment opportunities that can drive sustainable growth. He noted that ongoing global economic shifts require a reassessment of the continent’s development priorities.

He stressed that the African private sector must play a leading and influential role in achieving economic integration and spearheading development efforts. He added that stronger partnerships among African nations are essential to building more competitive, resilient, and sustainable economies, and that creating an attractive investment environment across the continent must be a shared responsibility.

Kouchouk pointed out that Egypt has emerged as a regional hub for green hydrogen production, energy security, and industrial manufacturing, while also serving as a pillar of food security in Africa. He highlighted growing foreign investment inflows into Egypt, particularly in the renewable energy, logistics, and industrial sectors.

He also underlined Egypt’s collaboration with the business community in designing and implementing economic reforms, supported by international partners. The private sector, he noted, has taken center stage in Egypt’s economic reform agenda, accounting for over 60 percent of total investments during the first nine months of the previous fiscal year.

The Minister stated that Egypt is committed to fostering an investment climate that encourages active expansion in production, manufacturing, and exports. He added that significant progress has been made in improving financial indicators, with 20 incentive-driven tax reforms implemented to strengthen investor confidence. Current fiscal policy, he explained, aims to strike a balance between stimulating economic activity and maintaining financial discipline, in a way that supports high and sustainable growth led by the private sector.

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