Egypt's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathi, met with the Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore to Cairo, Dominic Goh, on Monday to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation and investment opportunities in tourism and archaeology between the two countries. Fathi welcomed Ambassador Goh, expressing Egypt's appreciation for the strong bilateral relations between the two countries, particularly in tourism and archaeology. He emphasised Egypt's commitment to strengthening cooperation and coordination to further these areas. The discussion centred on boosting tourism flow from Singapore to Egypt, particularly in light of the growing demand among Singaporean tourists for cultural and beach tourism in Egypt, including diving. The meeting also touched upon potential participation in the ITB Asia tourism fair, the largest in Asia, scheduled for October in Singapore. Investment opportunities in Egypt, particularly in the hospitality sector, were also discussed. Ambassador Goh highlighted the interest of Singaporean real estate developers in investing in Egypt to increase hotel capacity. He also emphasised the importance of promoting joint investments between the two countries in this field. On the archaeological front, the meeting focused on collaborating on temporary exhibitions in Singapore to promote Egypt's ancient civilization and its cultural tourism offering, which is popular with Singaporean tourists. Ambassador Goh praised the visitor experience at the Grand Egyptian Museum, calling it enjoyable. This meeting was part of a series of meetings held by the Minister with ambassadors from around the world to discuss developing joint relations and strengthening cooperation in the tourism and archaeological sectors, with the goal of increasing tourist arrivals to Egypt. The meeting was also attended by Khaled Tharwat, the Minister's Advisor for International Relations and General Manager of International Relations and Agreements at the Ministry. Diplomatic relations between Egypt and Singapore began in November 1966, a year after Singapore's independence. The relationship is characterised by consultation and coordination on all levels. Tourism relations between the two countries have grown significantly, with 26 Egyptian tourism companies currently operating in the Singaporean market.
