Ahmed Rostom, Egypt's Minister of Planning and Economic Development, met with Abdel Aziz Al Mulla, Executive Director for Arab countries at the World Bank, and Hisham Seif, Alternate Executive Director, to explore ways to deepen cooperation between Egypt and the World Bank Group. The meeting supports Egypt's path toward comprehensive and sustainable development and the goals of Egypt Vision 2030. Discussions focused on development financing and employment programs.
On March 8, 2026, Ahmed Rostom emphasized the strategic partnership with the World Bank as a key driver for supporting Egypt's economic and structural reform agenda. He stressed directing concessional development financing and technical expertise toward high-impact projects, particularly in employment, sustainable infrastructure, and human capital investment, to foster inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
The discussions also covered potential implementation of spatial development programs aimed at accelerating employment, focusing on the economic clusters approach to strengthen local value chains and stimulate productive activities across governorates. Rostom noted that such programs complement the presidential Haya Karima initiative by supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, expanding the local production base, and creating sustainable job opportunities in villages and underdeveloped areas.
The meeting addressed the World Bank Group's role in promoting innovative financing models to stimulate infrastructure projects, improve implementation efficiency, and ease financing pressures on the state budget. Both sides agreed on the importance of continued coordination to accelerate joint programs and projects. They also emphasized leveraging the Bank's biannual Spring Meetings and Annual Meetings to showcase Egypt's experiences in adopting effective economic reforms and implementing comprehensive development programs, aiming for sustainable developmental impact and enhanced quality of life for citizens.