Mohamed Farid Saleh, Egypt's Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, met with Mark Bryson-Richardson, the UK Ambassador to Egypt, to discuss strengthening economic and investment cooperation between the two countries. The meeting addressed priority issues within their strategic partnership, including expanding access for Egyptian agricultural exports to the UK market. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening economic ties.
On February 25, 2026, Mohamed Farid Saleh emphasized Egypt's commitment to deepening economic ties with the United Kingdom, describing it as one of Egypt's most important trade and investment partners. He noted that British companies rank among the largest foreign investors in the Egyptian market, making significant contributions to job creation, export growth, and the transfer of expertise.
The discussions covered expanding market access for selected Egyptian agricultural exports to the UK, aiming to improve the trade balance and enhance the global competitiveness of Egyptian products. The minister reviewed his ministry's key priorities, including advancing a comprehensive digital transformation of services and developing integrated, accurate databases to facilitate swift data circulation and informed decision-making. Saleh stressed that establishing reliable and up-to-date databases forms a cornerstone for boosting transparency and improving the overall investment climate.
He added that the ministry is implementing effective and rapid mechanisms to resolve investors' challenges in a sustainable way, in close coordination with relevant authorities. This approach seeks to enhance the business environment, ensure investor satisfaction, attract strategic investments in priority sectors, and build an integrated industrial base to strengthen the competitiveness of the Egyptian economy.
For his part, the British ambassador reaffirmed the UK's commitment to advancing the economic partnership with Egypt, stating that the United Kingdom remains one of the largest foreign investors in the Egyptian market. He expressed anticipation for expanding cooperation in export finance and regional projects, particularly in Africa, as well as strengthening collaboration on green transition and sustainable investment to open new avenues for bilateral ties.
The meeting also underscored the importance of activating cooperation with UK Export Finance to support Egyptian companies—especially in construction and real estate development—in entering African markets. This would involve joint risk-sharing mechanisms with local insurance companies, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of national firms and promoting deeper economic integration between the two sides.