Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Farid launched the “Egypt Exports” initiative at Tanta University in Gharbeya during a major event held under the patronage of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and attended by representatives of government entities, affiliated agencies, the business community, industry and trade. The initiative comes as part of the implementation of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s directives to increase productivity, strengthen Egyptian exports and expand the country’s base of exporters. Farid said Egypt has achieved sustained growth in exports, but stressed that the real challenge lies in broadening the number of exporting companies. He noted that just 50 companies currently account for around 45% of Egypt’s total exports, a concentration the ministry aims to reduce by reaching businesses across all governorates and helping them access international markets. He explained that only 730 companies have so far benefited from services provided through Egypt’s export development system, adding that the ministry aims to reach thousands of businesses nationwide and raise awareness of the services, programmes and incentives offered by its affiliated agencies to increase the number of exporters and improve the competitiveness of Egyptian products. Farid said the Egypt Exports initiative represents a new approach by the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade, based on delivering government services directly to companies in governorates and industrial clusters rather than requiring businesses to visit government institutions. He stressed that increasing exports is no longer the responsibility of a single institution, but a national partnership involving the government, the private sector, governorates, universities and all supporting stakeholders. The minister said the ministry has adopted the principle of “You Have the Right to Know” to familiarise the business community with the services offered by the Export Development Authority, the Export Development Fund, the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), the General Authority for Exhibitions and Conferences, and the Egyptian Commercial Service. He added that the initiative includes specialised workshops providing practical guidance on the full range of services and programmes available to support companies throughout their export journey. Farid said the ministry also aims to create more export opportunities and contracts for Egyptian brands to strengthen their presence in global markets. “As we succeeded in presenting Mohamed Salah to the world through football, we aim to present Egyptian companies capable of achieving the same success with their products in international markets,” he said. Mohamed Farid, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade The minister noted that Gharbeya exported goods worth approximately $2.1bn over the past five years, highlighting its strong industrial and productive base, which positions it to further increase its contribution to Egypt’s exports. He added that the ministry hopes to encourage positive competition among governorates to improve their ranking on Egypt’s export map. Farid said exporting is a profession that requires continuous capacity building and skills development, which the ministry is supporting through training and qualification programmes. He stressed that increasing exports requires perseverance and close cooperation among all state institutions, adding that expanding the country’s exporter base will remain one of the ministry’s top priorities during the coming period. The minister also announced that the ministry is studying the introduction of competitions and incentives for companies achieving the strongest export growth, with the aim of encouraging competition and motivating businesses to expand into international markets. For his part, Mohamed Hussein, President of Tanta University, said hosting the Egypt Exports initiative reflects the university’s commitment to supporting national efforts aimed at promoting economic growth and increasing Egyptian exports. He described the initiative as an important platform for empowering small producers and exporters while connecting them with international markets. Hussein noted that micro, small and medium-sized enterprises are among the main drivers of economic growth, contributing to a broader production base, deeper industrialisation and higher value-added manufacturing, while also creating jobs and increasing exports. He added that Tanta University plays a pivotal role in supporting innovation and entrepreneurship through its innovation centres, business incubators and professional training programmes, helping develop graduates capable of transforming research ideas into productive businesses and start-ups that support the national economy and contribute to the objectives of Egypt Vision 2030. Hussein also said Gharbeya possesses significant economic and productive strengths thanks to the diversity of its industrial, agricultural and service activities, as well as its large number of producers and exporters operating in key sectors, making it one of Egypt’s leading contributors to economic development and export growth. Meanwhile, Gharbia Governor Alaa Abdel Moaty expressed his pride in hosting the launch of the initiative at Tanta University, saying it reflects the Egyptian state’s commitment to building a more productive and competitive economy and strengthening the ability of Egyptian products to reach international markets. He said the initiative supports the political leadership’s vision to increase exports, attract investment and achieve sustainable economic development. Abdel Moaty added that the selection of Gharbeya to host the launch reflects the governorate’s strong industrial and productive capabilities, as well as its concentration of economic clusters, productive villages and small and medium-sized enterprises. He said the governorate aims to maximise these advantages and translate them into greater productive and export capacity, strengthening the position of Egyptian products in overseas markets and increasing Gharbia’s contribution to the state’s export objectives. The governor noted that supporting economic clusters and productive villages is among the governorate’s highest priorities through improving product quality, upgrading production, packaging and marketing systems, and empowering artisans and owners of productive enterprises. He said these efforts would increase the value added of locally manufactured products, open new export markets, create a more attractive investment climate, support the private sector, and better align education and training with industrial needs, helping develop a skilled workforce and strengthen the competitiveness of productive sectors. Concluding his remarks, Abdel Moaty stressed that the success of Egypt’s export system begins with the quality of its products, an objective the governorate is pursuing in cooperation with all relevant stakeholders to upgrade products and ensure compliance with international standards. He added that effective cooperation between the government, the private sector and universities is a cornerstone of sustainable economic development, reaffirming Gharbeya’s commitment to supporting national initiatives aimed at strengthening industry, investment and exports while transforming the governorate’s resources into productive and investment opportunities that support the national economy and reinforce the global reputation of products made in Egypt. The post Investment minister launches ‘Egypt Exports’ initiative to expand exporter base first appeared on Dailynewsegypt.
