Egypt’s Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, Sherif El-Sherbiny, met, on Wednesday, with China’s Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong, and Chinese Ambassador to Cairo Liao Liqiang, along with their accompanying delegation. The meeting, held on the sidelines of the third day of the 12th World Urban Forum (WUF), focused on exploring ways to strengthen and deepen cooperation between Egypt and China.
The Minister of Housing expressed a strong interest in deepening collaboration with China’s Ministry of Housing in various shared fields, building on the robust relationship between Egypt and China and following the strategic directives of both nations’ leaderships.
He highlighted Egypt’s desire to localize industries related to the construction and infrastructure sectors, aiming to implement these projects domestically. Additionally, Egypt’s Ministry of Housing hopes to pursue joint ventures with China in new city industrial zones and encourages Chinese investment, particularly in hotel projects within the New Administrative Capital and New Alamein City.
The minister highlighted the numerous investment opportunities available for Chinese investors across diverse sectors, asserting Egypt’s commitment to supporting and promoting foreign direct investment. He also pointed out potential areas for collaboration within Egypt’s presidential initiative, Decent Life (Hayah Kareema), which focuses on rural development across the country.
China’s Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong praised Egypt’s significant advancements across various urban development fields, noting numerous opportunities for future collaboration.
He commended Egypt on successfully organizing the WUF, which saw record attendance by both official and non-official delegations.
Ni Hong proposed establishing a collaborative platform between the two ministries, supported by representatives from both countries to coordinate project implementation and share investment opportunities in Egypt, as well as advanced technologies for Chinese companies. This platform could later expand to include other regional nations. He also welcomed Egyptian companies to operate in China, assuring the full support of his ministry.
Additionally, the Egyptian Minister of Housing suggested forming partnerships between Egyptian and Chinese contracting firms to undertake projects worldwide. He also proposed joint ventures to localize industries tied to the construction, water, and sanitation sectors. Ni Hong welcomed these ideas and valued Minister El-Sherbiny’s proposals for deepening and strengthening bilateral cooperation.
