Wednesday 18/February/2026 – 07:28 AM
Dr. Badr Abdel Aty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptians Abroad, opened, on Tuesday, February 17, the first meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Development, after approving the formation of the Council, within the framework of implementing President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s directives towards activating national mechanisms to strengthen the Egyptian presence on the African continent.
Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Development
Minister Abdel Aty stressed that this meeting represents an important foundational station in the agency’s work process, and a new institutional launch to enhance the Egyptian development role at the regional and international levels, noting that the launch of the agency came through President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s announcement during the African Union summit in Malabo in July 2014, of Egypt’s firm commitment to supporting sustainable development and deepening the bonds of cooperation with brotherly and friendly countries, based on the firm belief that development represents one of the pillars of stability and peace, and a major tool for strengthening beneficial partnerships. Shared and mutual respect.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs also explained that the formation of the Board of Trustees reflects a strategic choice for a balanced mix that combines political weight, executive experience, economic capacity and accumulated diplomatic experience, as well as academic depth, ensuring the provision of effective strategic direction for the agency’s work and maximizing the impact of its programs and initiatives, noting the importance of maximizing the benefit of the expertise of the Board members, especially in light of the agency’s focus on supporting the African continent as it is a pivotal dimension of Egyptian national security and a major priority for Egyptian foreign action.
In a related context, Minister Abdel Ati indicated that the Board of Trustees includes prominent figures and high-ranking political, executive and parliamentary leaders, in addition to diverse international and diplomatic expertise that contribute to strengthening the external dimension of the agency’s work, in addition to the participation of representatives of the private sector and businessmen, which opens the way for practical partnerships, providing innovative financing mechanisms, and transferring executive expertise in priority sectors, including trade, investment, energy, health, infrastructure, agriculture, and irrigation. The Council also includes the participation of banking and financial leaders to support development financing tools, in addition to an academic and intellectual presence that contributes to providing analytical and strategic depth to the agency’s programs.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs concluded by emphasizing his confidence that the council’s high-level expertise and competencies will contribute to supporting the agency’s ability to carry out its development role and enhance its mission in a way that befits Egypt’s status and its regional and international role. He expressed his aspiration to begin the work of the council and produce fruitful results that contribute to crystallizing a common vision and consolidating the foundations of strong and sustainable institutional work for the Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Development.
The meeting was attended by Hassan Abdullah, Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt, Dr. Mohamed Farid, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Engineer Ibrahim Mehleb, former Prime Minister, Dr. Hala Al-Saeed, Adviser to the President of the Republic for Economic Affairs, Mohamed Al-Atreby, President of the Federation of Egyptian Banks and CEO of the National Bank of Egypt, Ghada Waly, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Director-General of the United Nations Office in Vienna, and Representative Dr. Sherif El-Gabaly, Chairman of the African Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives, along with a number of public figures. And prominent experiences in the economic, financial and development fields.
The meeting witnessed an exchange of visions and ideas between members of the Board of Trustees, experts, and participants, where a number of practical proposals and ideas were reviewed to enhance the agency’s role and expand the scope of its development programs, thus contributing to supporting Egypt’s efforts in building capabilities and transferring expertise to brotherly and friendly countries, especially on the African continent. This interaction also reflected the council members’ keenness to contribute their diverse experiences to support the agency’s directions and consolidate its role as one of the main arms of Egyptian development diplomacy.
