The first Egyptian-Sudanese Business Forum, held on Saturday, focused on strengthening economic cooperation between the two nations. Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, Kamel Al-Wazir, opened the forum by emphasizing the importance of expanding industrial investment and trade. He stated that the forum aims "to strengthen existing cooperation frameworks between Egypt and Sudan across all sectors, maximizing both countries' potential and boosting trade levels for the mutual benefit of both peoples." Al-Wazir underscored the benefits of deeper industrial investment, including job creation and technological advancement. Held under Al-Wazir's patronage, the forum featured participation from several high-ranking officials: Omar Bannafir, Sudanese Minister of Trade and Supply; Mahasen Yaqoub, Sudanese Minister of Industry; Abubakr Abu Al-Qasim Abdullah, Sudanese Minister of Transport; Muhyi El-Din Naeem, Sudanese Minister of Energy and Oil; Sherif Farouk, Egyptian Minister of Supply and Domestic Trade; and Emad El-Din Mostafa Adawi, Sudanese Ambassador to Cairo. In his address, Al-Wazir conveyed greetings from President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and expressed hope for the forum's success. He welcomed the Sudanese delegation, highlighting the strong bonds between the two nations and reaffirming Egypt's support for Sudan. Stressing the forum's goal of fostering cooperation and boosting trade, Al-Wazir also addressed the economic impact of regional conflicts, emphasizing the importance of creating new frameworks to mitigate these effects and advocating for international cooperation to find solutions. Al-Wazir reiterated Egypt's commitment to regional economic stability and development, affirming the country's ongoing support for Arab nations facing conflict. He emphasized national unity as a key to overcoming challenges and highlighted Egypt's active role in promoting regional peace efforts and international collaboration. Focusing on Egypt's support for Sudan's economic recovery, Al-Wazir outlined the shared history and strong ties between the two nations. He described existing transport networks linking Egypt and Sudan, including three land transport axes—Toshka-Arqin (West Nile, 100 km), Qustul-Wadi Halfa (East Nile, 35 km), and Halaib-Port Sudan (Red Sea coast, 280 km). Additionally, he mentioned plans for an intermodal railway station at Abu Simbel, three land ports (Qustul, Arqin, and Ras Hadarba), logistics zones in Qustul and Arqin, and a new river wharf at Wadi Halfa port in Sudan. Highlighting the benefits of enhanced industrial investment between the two nations, Al-Wazir pointed to mutual gains such as job creation, the provision of equipment, technological advancements, and economic growth. He emphasized the forum's role in initiating an industrial integration partnership to promote regional collaboration, enabling both countries to capitalize on their strengths and address shared challenges. Al-Wazir also noted the untapped cooperation potential between Egypt and Sudan and reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to attracting Sudanese investments. He cited Egypt's favorable investment climate, its range of incentives, and access to free trade agreements. He added that Egypt has undertaken significant institutional reforms to improve investor procedures, enhancing its appeal to foreign investors. The minister highlighted the transport sector's critical role in economic integration, stressing the importance of strong infrastructure for sustainable development. He detailed the Egyptian Ministry of Transport's initiatives to transform Egypt into a regional transport and logistics hub, including logistics corridor developments and plans for 32 dry ports and logistics zones across the country. These efforts align with President Al-Sisi's directives to enhance Egypt's regional connectivity. Concluding his remarks, Al-Wazir highlighted the forum's timeliness, noting Sudan's economic reforms and its progress in attracting investments for public-private partnerships in key sectors such as agriculture, energy, infrastructure, information and communication technology, and mining. He praised Sudan's abundant resources and strategic location, which continue to attract global investors to its agricultural and food industries. Al-Wazir closed by reiterating the need for sustained cooperation between Egypt and Sudan to strengthen their relationship across all levels, particularly in trade and investment. Expressing optimism for the future, he emphasized the importance of continuous collaboration to enhance mutual benefits.
