Cairo hosted the 4th Annual Conference of the Egyptian African Businessmen’s Association (EABA) and the African Ramadan Night, with the participation of senior officials, ambassadors, and business leaders from 40 African countries. The event aimed to strengthen economic and trade cooperation between Egypt and the African continent.
In his opening speech, Dr. Yousrey Elsharkawi, Chairman of EABA, emphasized that the participation of ministers and senior government officials, including representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture, Youth and Sports, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Commercial Representation, and the General Organization for Export and Import Control, reflects Egypt’s political leadership’s commitment to enhancing economic relations with Africa. It also confirms Egypt’s strategic direction toward African economic integration.
El-Sharkawi noted that the association has achieved 150% of its five-year plan within four years, driving it to continue organizing events, launching initiatives, and strengthening economic and trade relations through exhibitions, business weeks, and cultural activities across various African countries.
He affirmed that the association seeks to be “the bridge between African nations and the most present and active entity in Africa” by offering advanced economic services, providing essential business information, and facilitating partnerships between Egyptian and African companies.
Elsharkawi also revealed new initiatives aimed at supporting the African business community, including cooperation in sustainable development, small and medium-sized industries, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, and overcoming investment challenges. These efforts aim to create new opportunities for African youth to actively participate in economic development.
In his address, Ambassador Mahamadu Labarang, Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Cameroon to Egypt, highlighted the deep historical ties between African nations, stressing the importance of strengthening economic and trade cooperation.
The ambassador emphasized Egypt’s pivotal role in supporting African economic integration and praised Egypt’s initiatives to promote African partnerships. He noted that such conferences provide vast opportunities for networking and knowledge exchange among African business leaders and investors, leading to new investment projects and infrastructure development across the continent.
Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth and Sports, underscored the vital role of sports in enhancing ties between African nations, stating that investing in youth is key to achieving sustainable development across the continent.
He pointed out that Egypt believes young people are the foundation of Africa’s future, and empowering them through sports, education, and vocational training is essential for progress and prosperity. The minister also outlined efforts by his ministry to promote sports cooperation among African countries through joint tournaments, youth exchange programs, and training initiatives.
He added that sports have become a thriving industry and investment sector, generating significant economic returns. He encouraged investors to pay greater attention to this promising field, which has the potential to boost local economies and create new job opportunities for African youth.
Dr. Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, emphasized Egypt’s strong commitment to enhancing agricultural cooperation with African nations through knowledge exchange, technical support, and expanded training programs for agricultural professionals.
Farouk highlighted that the agricultural sector is a key pillar of sustainable development in Africa, stressing that Egypt possesses vast expertise that can be leveraged to support African partners in modern agriculture, irrigation, land reclamation, and agro-industrialization.
He called on Egyptian and African business leaders to explore promising investment opportunities in agriculture, stressing the need for collaboration between governments and the private sector to achieve food security and boost agricultural production across the continent.
The event saw the participation of 40 African countries, including 14 African ambassadors in Egypt, led by Ambassador Mahamadu Labarang. Additionally, 11 countries showcased their products and investment opportunities, while five major Egyptian companies presented their projects in public health, medical tourism, and contracting.
As part of efforts to support African economic integration, the conference witnessed the signing of a cooperation protocol between the Egyptian African Businessmen Association and the Sadat Investors Association, reflecting the alignment of Egypt’s business community with the goal of fostering African cooperation.
EgyptAir also supported the event by offering five free tickets to African destinations under its cooperation protocol with EABA.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Yousrey Elsharkawi reaffirmed that Africa is the future, and that collaborative efforts among African nations are the key to achieving sustainable economic growth. He stressed that EABA will continue working diligently to be an active player in Africa’s development, emphasizing that cooperation and integration are essential for the prosperity of the continent’s people.