Egypt's Investment and Foreign Trade Minister Hassan El-Khatib on Monday chaired the first meeting of the Economic Committee of the Egyptian-Saudi Supreme Coordination Council, marking a key step toward deepening trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. El-Khatib said the meeting underscored the shared commitment of Cairo and Riyadh to strengthening strategic economic ties and expanding joint investments, with both sides identifying new opportunities for sustainable development and regional integration. He noted that Saudi investments in Egypt currently total around $25 billion, making the Kingdom one of Egypt's largest investors. Around 90 per cent of investor-related issues have been resolved, he added, as the government works to bolster investor confidence and encourage new inflows. The minister stressed the need to activate the Egyptian-Saudi Joint Business Council and advance the joint investment agreement signed last year to further diversify bilateral trade. El-Khatib said the committee's work will focus on five key pillars: enhancing trade balance; coordinating investments between Egypt's Sovereign Fund (TSFE) and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF); fostering industrial collaboration across 28 priority sectors; improving customs, transport, and logistics connectivity; and expanding cooperation in digital trade and electronic payments. He said the meeting represents an important milestone in consolidating the Egypt–Saudi economic partnership and laying stronger foundations for sustainable growth and regional integration. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: Y.Yasser
