Saudi Investment Minister leads Greek delegation to strengthen strategic and business relations
Egyptian business leader calls UK-Egypt relations ‘the best they’ve ever been’
LONDON: Relations between Britain and Egypt are the best they have ever been, with the UK keen to further increase cooperation, Egyptian officials have revealed.
The comments came during a visit to Britain by a high-level Egyptian government and business delegation.
Egypt’s Acting Minister of Health and Population, Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, said: “We see that Egypt is now well prepared for foreign investment and well organized in terms of legislation and opportunities.
“At the same time, we have been ranked by different financial institutions as a place where the future of investment and the future of the economy lie before us.”
Abdel Ghaffar, who is also Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research, was on a one-day visit to the UK to highlight some of the opportunities to attract investors from different health sectors.
Egypt’s acting Minister of Health and Population, Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, was visiting as part of a four-day mission organized by the Cairo-based British Egyptian Business Association. (AN Photo/Hasenin Fadhel)
Speaking on the sidelines of an event hosted by the London-based Arab-British Chamber of Commerce where he briefed senior executives from Britain’s healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, the minister told Arab News that he aimed to highlight the resilience and capacity of the Egyptian health system. , as well as the gaps to be filled by foreign investment.
“We are here to show our commitment as a government and our willingness to open our hands to investments in different sectors in Egypt,” he added.
As economic activity in Egypt continues to grow, its government is pushing to implement legislation for universal healthcare coverage by 2030, and British investors could play a crucial role in delivering services and health facilities in urban and rural areas.
Wearing both ministerial hats, Abdel Ghaffar said many lines of communication had been opened in the health and higher education sectors between Egypt and the UK.
He stressed that the two countries were holding “serious discussions” on investing in hospitals, training nurses and doctors, and preparing ophthalmology and dentistry students to take their exams in Egypt. On the education front, he noted that several partnerships had already been established with a number of UK universities and more were in the pipeline.
“We expect to have around 15 new universities ready for operation by September and October this year. For this reason, we need to discuss more with our partners in the United Kingdom to encourage in this area,” added Abdel Ghaffar.
The Minister was visiting as part of a four-day mission organized by the Cairo-based British Egyptian Business Association and the Commercial Attaché of the Egyptian Embassy in London, to also promote other opportunities in Egypt , with several parallel events targeting finance and green finance, infrastructure, renewable energy and green hydrogen, and opportunities in the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
It was BEBA’s seventh annual trade mission and by far the largest, said its chairman, Khaled Nosseir, adding that the delegation included four cabinet ministers – international cooperation, finance, electricity and energy. energy, and health and higher education – as well as deputy ministers, heads of authorities and about 74 business leaders from Cairo.
The visit was organized by the British Egyptian Business Association and was its seventh annual trade mission and by far its largest. (AN Photo/Hasenin Fadhel)
Nosseir said he held meetings, seminars and events with counterparts, investors and people interested in doing business with the North African country to discuss opportunities not only in the Egyptian market but also in other markets in Africa.
Another highlight of the visit was Egypt’s Vision 2030 and the highly anticipated United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) to be held in the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh in November, as the Kingdom United hands over the presidency the previous year. .
“Relations between Egypt and the UK are the best they have ever been, at least I have known. So we’re trying to build on that and really build on that to foster economic relations, trade and investment,” Nosseir added, describing the response throughout the visit as “very positive” from all sides.
“There has been a seismic transformation in Egypt over the past six years, and Egypt is not the same as before, and no matter what we try to explain to anyone outside of Egypt what is happening and the new Egypt no one can really understand because even for us in Egypt it is mind boggling,” he said.