Egyptian Foreign Minister: Challenges Facing the Global Economy Require Strengthening International Cooperation
Cairo, July 27 (KUNA) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty affirmed on Monday that the challenges facing the global economy, amid geopolitical tensions and a succession of international crises, necessitate strengthening international cooperation and multilateral action.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release that this remark was made by Minister Abdelatty during his participation in the launch event for the 2026 World Investment Report, issued by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The event was attended by Pedro Manuel, the Acting Secretary-General of UNCTAD, along with several ministers, senior officials, representatives of the business community, and relevant institutions.
The minister outlined the challenges confronting the global economy in light of ongoing international crises, which have resulted in disruptions to supply chains, international trade flows, and investment flows. He also highlighted the widening developmental and digital divide between developed and developing countries, noting that these factors have impacted global growth rates and heightened the uncertainty governing investment decisions.
Minister Abdelatty expressed appreciation for UNCTAD’s efforts in preparing the investment report, emphasizing the organization’s crucial role in supporting developing countries through studies, analyses, capacity building, and fostering international consensus on trade, investment, and development issues.
He reviewed the key reforms Egypt has implemented in recent years to enhance the resilience of its national economy against international changes, including engaging the private sector and offering incentives to investors in various sectors, notably artificial intelligence applications. He noted that the 2026 World Investment Report reflects the positive outcomes achieved through these reforms.
For his part, Egyptian Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Saleh stated that the World Investment Report reflects profound shifts in the global economy, driven by escalating geopolitical tensions and the uncertainty surrounding trade and investment policies. He explained that the report’s indicators reveal a clear disparity in the distribution of foreign direct investment (FDI) flows across different regions of the world.
Minister Saleh noted that global FDI flows rose by 6 percent in 2025, following two consecutive years of decline. However, this figure drops to approximately 4 percent when excluding flows related to cross-border financial hubs, reflecting the continued concentration of investments in a limited number of sectors and geographic areas.
He added that digital infrastructure, including data centers and modern technologies, attracted a significant share of global investment flows, surpassing many traditional productive sectors. This trend calls for efforts to achieve a better balance in directing investments toward activities capable of creating added value and providing employment opportunities.
He pointed out that emerging markets achieved limited growth in FDI inflows, reaching approximately 2 percent, while the African continent did not benefit sufficiently. Total flows directed to developing countries amounted to nearly $900 billion, of which Africa received only about $70 billion.
Regarding Egypt’s performance, Minister Saleh stated that the country achieved outstanding results in attracting FDI last year, recording inflows of $15.5 billion. This placed Egypt at the top of the African continent and second in the Arab world.
He said that the Egyptian Ministry of Investment is preparing to announce a new package of decisions and measures in the coming weeks to facilitate capital increases and mergers and acquisitions through an integrated digital system. These measures aim to reduce processing times and improve the quality of services provided to investors.
This event takes place within the framework of cooperation between the Egyptian government and UNCTAD, considering the World Investment Report as the leading international reference for monitoring and analyzing FDI trends and highlighting the major transformations the global economy is undergoing in light of current economic and geopolitical changes. (End) A.F.F / F.D.S
