The event featured Vice Minister of Finance Yasser Sobhi and representatives from Japanese titans including Toyota Tsusho, Itochu, SoftBank, and Marubeni. Also in attendance were leaders from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), and the SMBC Group.
Egyptian Ambassador to Tokyo, Ragui El-Etreby, stated that
the initiative aims to build momentum for Egypt’s third issuance of
"Samurai" bonds, yen-denominated debt instruments designed to
diversify Cairo's funding sources.
Vice Minister Sobhi presented a "New Narrative"
for the Egyptian economy, highlighting several key macroeconomic milestones: Egypt’s
foreign exchange reserves have reached their highest level in history,
exceeding $51 billion as of early 2026. Inflation rates are on a sharp downward
trajectory, projected to hit 11.1% later this year. New tax reforms have
successfully integrated 20,000 new entities into the formal economy, boosting
state revenues and fiscal transparency.
During discussions, Sobhi identified the most attractive
sectors for Japanese capital, emphasizing Egypt’s role as a gateway to Africa,
Europe, and the Middle East through its extensive network of Free Trade
Agreements (FTAs). Key priority sectors include petrochemicals, green energy,
pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, textiles, and food processing.
Ambassador El-Etreby noted that the embassy is working
aggressively to bridge the information gap within the Japanese business
community regarding Egypt's infrastructure modernization and social reforms in
education and health.
Japanese representatives expressed strong interest in expanding value-added investments, particularly in tech-driven industries, and called for continued high-level communication to finalize pending partnerships.