Egypt's Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Hassan El-Khateeb, met with the CEO of Barceló Hotel Group, Raúl González, to discuss investment opportunities in Egypt's tourism and hotel sector as part of his official visit to Spain. El-Khateeb highlighted Egypt's strong investment potential in hospitality, travel, and resort development, reaffirming the ministry's commitment to supporting Barceló Group's expansion in the country. The discussion focused on the company's interest in investing in key tourist destinations, including Cairo, Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurghada, and Marsa Alam. The meeting aligns with Egypt's strategy to double annual tourist arrivals to 30 million, a goal that requires expanding hotel capacity to 230,000 rooms, with a target of reaching 500,000 rooms. El-Khateeb affirmed this, stressing Egypt's eagerness to attract leading global hotel chains to contribute expertise and investment in hotel sector development. He also outlined investment opportunities, including those available through Egypt's Sovereign Wealth Fund, and potential projects to convert historic and heritage buildings in Cairo and Alexandria into luxury hotels. Moreover, González confirmed that a company delegation would visit Cairo to explore investment opportunities in tourism and hospitality, noting that Barceló Group currently manages two hotels in Egypt and is negotiating further acquisitions and partnerships. He also highlighted the company's recent investment in a Nile cruise vessel, marking its entry into Egypt's river tourism sector, which is a key attraction for Spanish tourists. González reaffirmed Barceló's confidence in the Egyptian market and its ambitious investment plans in the country. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
