Egypt is intensifying efforts to deepen economic partnerships with Germany and India, focusing on investment, development cooperation, and knowledge exchange, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Hussein Eissa said this week.
Eissa held separate meetings at the government headquarters in the New Administrative Capital with Jürgen Schulz, Germany’s ambassador to Cairo, and Suresh K. Reddy, India’s ambassador to Egypt, to explore opportunities for closer bilateral cooperation.
With Germany, Eissa highlighted the long-standing development partnership, noting that Berlin is one of Egypt’s largest European development partners. Current cooperation spans energy, water, sanitation, irrigation, solid waste management, and private sector competitiveness initiatives.
The Deputy Prime Minister reviewed the “Invest for Jobs” programme, implemented by the KfW Development Bank, which offers grants to investment projects selected for their potential to create employment opportunities. Priority sectors include construction and related industries, metal and electrical manufacturing, education and social services, food industries, transportation, logistics, information technology, and the hospitality sector.
Eissa also discussed the Egyptian-German debt swap programme, describing it as an innovative tool supporting Egypt’s green transition. Future phases may focus on industrial energy efficiency, green hydrogen projects, and technical education. Both sides emphasized strengthening economic and development cooperation to support sustainable development, attract investment, and boost job creation.
In a separate meeting with India’s ambassador, Eissa underscored the historical ties and steady progress in economic, trade, and investment relations. He reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation and opening new avenues for strategic partnership, particularly following Egypt’s accession to BRICS, which he said offers additional opportunities for economic and development collaboration.
The Deputy Prime Minister highlighted Egypt’s ongoing restructuring of economic authorities and state-owned companies, as well as an asset offering programme designed to maximise state asset value and attract local and foreign investors. This initiative will offer stakes in key institutions and companies across banking and financial services, energy, infrastructure, logistics, insurance, and pharmaceuticals, with India invited to participate through public offerings or strategic partnerships.
Discussions also focused on emerging fields such as innovation, technology, and digital transformation. Eissa encouraged cooperation in supporting startups and fostering collaboration between the innovation ecosystems of Egypt and India.
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Capacity building and professional training formed another key focus. Eissa praised the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) for training a large number of Egyptian professionals and welcomed the recent increase in training scholarships allocated to Egypt. He suggested expanding this cooperation through specialised training programmes, joint workshops, and postgraduate scholarships at Indian universities to enhance knowledge exchange and institutional capacity building.
By strengthening ties with Germany and India, Egypt aims to leverage international expertise, attract strategic investment, and accelerate its economic growth agenda. Authorities see these partnerships as key to promoting sustainable development, creating employment, and supporting innovation across critical sectors of the Egyptian economy.
With private investment already surging, the government is using these international partnerships to complement domestic reforms, streamline investment processes, and enhance the competitiveness of the Egyptian market on the global stage.
Eissa concluded that deepening cooperation with strategic partners will not only expand Egypt’s economic horizons but also position the country as a hub for trade, investment, and innovation in the region.
