Egypt's General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) hosted the Egypt-China Forum for Investment, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Partnerships, aimed at linking the Egyptian business community with Chinese innovation leaders, as per a Cabinet statement. The Chinese delegation included university professors and business leaders from Shanghai, led by Professor Xiongwen Lu, Dean of the School of Management at Fudan University, founding director of its Marketing Research Centre, and board member of several multinational and industrial giants in China. Xiongwen Lu said Egypt was ready to receive major Chinese investments and that Fudan University would leverage its ties with the Chinese business sector to promote investment opportunities in the country. The two sides explored ways to link Egyptian industries with Chinese technological advancements, particularly amid rising interest from Chinese businesses in investing in Egypt. Discussions also highlighted Egypt's competitive advantages, including a skilled labour force, strategic geographic location, and trade agreements granting access to nearly 3 billion consumers globally. GAFI's CEO Hossam Heiba said localising technology and supporting innovation are key government priorities, noting that Egypt had granted golden licences to Chinese firms Haier and Midea for their decision to establish industrial technology in the country. GAFI has trained over 300,000 entrepreneurs in the past five years, many of whom contributed to Egypt's economic and technological development. Heiba added that GAFI plans to establish innovation hubs in its investment and free zones, in partnership with top investor countries, particularly China. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
