Sisi Opens 'Alamein-Africa Business Forum': Geopolitical Tensions Intertwine with Development Challenges

Cairo - Khadija Hamouda: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi opened the first session of the “Alamein-Africa Business Forum,” which sees wide participation from African leaders and officials, alongside representatives of the African and international business communities and economic institutions.

In his opening address, President el-Sisi emphasized that the “Alamein-Africa” Business Forum takes place at a time when the world is experiencing successive crises and rapid transformations, in which geopolitical tensions intertwine with developmental and economic challenges, and the maps of production, energy, and technology are being redrawn. He noted that in such moments, countries need to bolster their capacities to enhance resilience and build their own futures and the futures of their peoples.

President el-Sisi stated during his speech at the forum, held in the new city of Alamein: “Allow me to reaffirm a principle we firmly believe in: economic development cannot be built in unstable countries, and stability is not a luxury but a fundamental pillar sought by investors, manufacturers, and farmers to operate in a safe environment that helps them achieve their goals.”

He continued, “In our African continent, we are well aware that security begins with supporting the national state and its institutions, respecting its unity and sovereignty, prioritizing peaceful solutions to conflicts and crises, and upholding the principle of good neighborliness. This enables the activation of joint cooperation mechanisms and economic integration to meet the legitimate aspirations of our peoples for development and prosperity.”

President el-Sisi clarified that Egypt has always been at the forefront of countries supporting this vision, driven by its pride in its firm African identity. He pointed out that Egypt is hosting the inaugural edition of the “Alamein-Africa Business Forum,” which was approved to be held under a decision by the African Union at its recent summit in February 2026, in collaboration with the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), the African Export-Import Bank, and the African Union.

He explained that the forum provides a strategic continental platform to mobilize efforts to achieve the goals of Agenda 2063, translate the ambitions of joint African business into tangible reality, and offer a unique space for the African business sector to interact with national leaders, discuss challenges facing the private sector, and build cross-border partnerships to drive economic integration and achieve continental development goals.

El-Sisi said, “Statistics indicate that the African private sector is the most important and largest driver of the continent’s economies, contributing more than 70% to Africa’s GDP. Notably, about 85% of African private sector transactions are with companies outside the continent. Moreover, more than 50% of small and medium-sized enterprises lack sufficient information about opportunities in neighboring African markets, pushing them to seek commercial opportunities in distant international markets rather than in nearby African countries. Despite the preferential trade agreements and arrangements linking the continent’s countries, intra-African trade has accounted for only about 18% of the continent’s total trade in recent years.”

He added, “From this comes the idea of organizing this forum, to serve as an institutional bridge to break the barrier of isolation and close the information gap. Interaction between representatives of the private sector and investors across the continent requires direct communication and the construction of effective platforms for convergence, enabling the African private sector to explore its latent opportunities, participate in activating the African Continental Free Trade Area, and contribute to achieving the continent’s development goals within Agenda 2063.”

He clarified that hosting the first edition of this forum coincides with Alamein hosting the eighth session of the African Union’s mid-year coordination summit, reflecting the organic interconnection between political and economic work within the framework of joint African efforts.

He continued, “Africa is a young and vibrant continent, with a youth population of about 65% and abundant natural and human resources. It includes countries that are actively and increasingly engaging with the world, and today it is striving to become a key partner in shaping the international system. The continent looks forward to a world characterized by peace and stability, rather than being burdened with the consequences of global crises in which it was not a party and which it suffers from negative repercussions.”

He noted that the current global energy crisis is evidence of this, as it affects and pressures the continent’s countries due to rising fuel and fertilizer prices, disruptions in supply and shipping chains, and other repercussions.

President el-Sisi affirmed that our goal is clear: to build modern states capable of keeping pace with rapid global economic transformations and shaping a more just and sustainable future. He said, “Let us all move together toward achieving this goal. I am convinced that the 21st century will be an African century, if we work jointly well.”