Egypt and South Korea signed two memoranda of understanding on Thursday to boost cooperation in culture and education, as President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi welcomed South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on his first official visit since taking office in June 2025. The visit coincides with the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and signals Cairo's push to attract Korean investment in priority sectors, including information and communications technology, automotive manufacturing, shipbuilding, petrochemicals, mining, and artificial intelligence, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency. Sisi highlighted Egypt's incentives for foreign investors and emphasised efforts to localise industrial production. "Egyptian-Korean relations form a bridge of civilisational and cultural exchange and present a model of economic cooperation based on complementarity and shared benefit," he said. The Korean president expressed his country's commitment to deepening cooperation through government channels and the growing presence of Korean companies in Egypt. He also praised Egypt's recent development achievements, including the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum. Both leaders discussed accelerating joint initiatives in AI, ICT, petrochemicals, and advanced manufacturing, particularly within the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE). They also explored establishing a Korea-focused university for science and technology, as well as Korean schools in Egypt to foster educational exchange. The signing of the MoUs underscores a broader strategy to expand bilateral ties beyond trade, positioning Egypt as a hub for Korean investment and technological cooperation in the region. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
