Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sis inaugurated Saturday the Africa Investment Forum (AIF) in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh. Mr. Sisi welcomed all African delegations taking part in the forum, highlighting the role played by Sharm El-Sheikh as a destination of regional and international summits. The president reminded the attendees of the signing of economic deals by three economic blocs: COMESA, SADC, and the Economic Community for Eastern Africa, which launched the largest trading bloc in Africa to serve hopes to create a continental free trade area zone. He stressed on the necessity to achieve development in the continent as its main challenge, calling for further economic collaboration including boosting the joint African work mechanisms as well as regional blending. Egyptian companies increased investment in African markets bringing the size of investments to more than $ 8 billion, particularly in fields of construction, infrastructure, energy, mining, agriculture, telecommunications and information technology sectors jobs. He added the new Suez Canal inauguration in August, 2015 was the first step in a huge and ambitious project to contribute to the African trade movement with global markets and to enhance the elements of manufacturing and export. The conference is organized in cooperation with the COMMESA under the umbrella of the African Union Commission.