His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), affirmed that the Trade and Investment Forum between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the GCC embodies their partnership spirit and builds bridges of cooperation between business leaders in the GCC countries and their counterparts in Egypt, "serving the interests of our peoples".
"This is based on the deep historical ties and shared cultural heritage that unite the two sides," His Excellency stated.
These remarks came during the inauguration of the Trade and Investment Forum between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the GCC, titled "A Roadmap to Strengthening Egyptian–Gulf Economic Cooperation," today, Monday, November 10, 2025, in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.
The event was held under the patronage and presence of His Excellency Dr Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt; His Excellency Dr Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs; and His Excellency Khalifa Abdullah Al Ajeel, Minister of Commerce and Industry of the State of Kuwait.
The forum is jointly organised by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the GCC General Secretariat, in cooperation with the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce and the Federation of GCC Chambers.
It featured high-level participation from Their Excellencies Ministers and senior officials concerned with trade and investment files from GCC states and the Arab Republic of Egypt, along with a select group of major companies and business leaders from the GCC.
At the beginning of his speech, His Excellency Mr Albudaiwi extended his highest thanks and gratitude to His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, for Egypt's hosting of this forum and for the facilities and support it has provided and continues to provide for the implementation of joint action plans agreed upon within the partnership framework between the GCC and Egypt.
Moreover, His Excellency expressed aspirations for further cohesion, cooperation, and integration to achieve the common interests of both parties. His Excellency also congratulated the Arab Republic of Egypt on the official opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum. "This civilized and cultural edifice is one of the largest and most prominent museums in the world in the field of preserving and displaying human heritage," His Excellency highlighted.
During his speech, His Excellency noted that the Joint Action Plan for the period (2024–2028), which was approved during the 2nd ministerial meeting in March 2024, serves as a comprehensive roadmap for enhancing cooperation in various fields of common interest.
"What we are witnessing today is one of the fruits of this cooperation, embodied in the convening of this forum. It brings together an elite group of business leaders and investors from both sides to be an effective platform for strengthening economic and development partnerships and opening new horizons for the public and private sectors," His Excellency stated, adding: "This meeting also expresses the firm political will of our leaderships to build a more integrated and stable future, amid the rapid regional and international transformations the world is witnessing."
Furthermore, His Excellency pointed out that the trade relations between the GCC countries and the Arab Republic of Egypt have seen remarkable growth in recent years.
"The volume of trade exchange from 2016 to 2023 reached more than $167 billion, with expectations of increased trade rates between the two sides in the coming years. In the field of investments, Gulf investments in the Egyptian market rose to more than $40 billion during the fiscal year 2023–2024. These figures and indicators show the enormous potential we can achieve together by enhancing economic cooperation and integration. We are facing a historic opportunity today to strengthen our partnerships and expand the horizons of our cooperation in order to serve the interests of our peoples and supports the stability and prosperity of the region," His Excellency explained.
"This is what the GCC has sought to achieve with the Arab Republic of Egypt through holding several joint ministerial meetings and senior officials' meetings to discuss all regional and international issues and explore avenues of joint cooperation," His Excellency underscored.
His Excellency concluded his speech by emphasising that the strategic relations between Egypt and the GCC countries represent a fundamental pillar in the regional cooperation system.
"We are facing a promising opportunity today to enhance economic cooperation and establish partnerships that achieve prosperity for our peoples, based on the elements of strength and enormous potential we all possess that qualify us to create a more integrated future. Achieving our economic ambitions cannot be done by governments alone; true development is made by integrating the efforts of the public and private sectors. The private sector is, without a doubt, the authentic partner and the vital driver of the wheel of growth. This forum comes to embody the spirit of partnership, building bridges of cooperation between business leaders in the GCC countries and their counterparts in Egypt. This forum also comes as an exceptional opportunity to address the multiple challenges facing investors at all levels, by opening a frank and constructive dialogue about these challenges, including presenting the best ways to overcome and deal with these challenges by providing competitive incentives and guarantees for investors." His Excellency underlined.