Egypt is hosting on Saturday its annual international meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh with African and global political and business leaderships to push for a new intra-African comprehensive partnership. Under the auspices of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Africa Forum will take place in the country's touristic resort of Sharm El-Sheikh for two days. It will be held under the rubric "Bold Leadership and Collective Commitment: Advancing Intra-African Investments". The forum is expected to attract more than 3,000 delegates representing a wide range of disciplines across Africa and the globe, including heads of states, politicians, and business figures. They will hold in-depth discussions on opportunities to boost private sector engagement and intra-African investment, aiming to create a new economic system in Africa based on innovation, entrepreneurship, and women empowerment. Organised by the Egyptian Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the COMESA Regional Investment Agency (RIA), the forum will witness discussions between regional and international experts on better access to fair competition and investment protection, and digital transformation. They will also discuss building sustainable business models to promote development in the continent. With the participation of international finance leaders as well as heads of regional and international finance institutions, the forum will also focus on displaying new funding mechanisms for investing in the infrastructure, financing large capital investments in Africa Taking over the chair of the African Union in 2019, Egypt will intensify efforts to ensure the realisation of the continent's reform plan for the year 2063. Egypt is keen on achieving effective cooperation between African countries to achieve comprehensive economic and social development. Authorities in Egypt support the early operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), to come into effect within 2019. AfCFTA is expected to be one of the largest free trade areas in the world, to serve as the main platform for galvanising intra-continental trade and investment in Africa. This year, the forum's agenda includes "Young Entrepreneurs Day" (YED) that provides a comprehensive platform to support entrepreneurs as well as their innovative ideas that can create unconventional solutions for African countries' crisis. YED will give entrepreneurs the opportunity to meet variable investors and to enhance their skills through YED's special workshops, designed by advisors and leaders specialised in their field. The agenda also includes "Women Empowering Africa Day" (WEA), with the aim of a greater role for African women in building the economic and social development of their countries.
