File Photo: Al-Sisi with Zambian president
Madbouly will be accompanied by Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El-Khatib and senior government officials. The meeting will bring together heads of state and government from COMESA’s 21 member countries, along with key regional and international partners.
In a statement, Egypt’s Cabinet said Cairo’s participation reflects its commitment to deepening regional economic integration and supporting COMESA’s efforts to boost trade and development across eastern and southern Africa.
Focus on trade, investment, and private sector growth
The summit will assess progress on expanding intra-regional trade, encouraging joint investments, and increasing the role of the private sector in advancing the bloc’s economic agenda. Member states are expected to adopt measures to strengthen economic linkages and improve coordination with other African regional groupings.
Egypt’s membership in COMESA allows its exports to enter fellow member states duty-free under the bloc’s free trade area. Cairo also benefits from joint programmes aimed at promoting industrial cooperation, infrastructure connectivity, and regional value-chain development.
Beyond trade, Egypt has been expanding its investment footprint across Africa, particularly in industry, energy, agriculture, and food processing, as part of its broader effort to position itself as a regional economic hub.
Egypt's leadership role in COMESA
Egypt joined COMESA in 1998 and has been one of its most active members.
Cairo last hosted the 22nd COMESA Summit in November 2021, when President El-Sisi assumed the chairmanship of the organization and launched the “COMESA Regional Industrialization Strategy 2021–2025.”
During Egypt’s two-year chairmanship, focus was placed on promoting digital transformation, developing regional value chains, and improving transport and infrastructure links among member states.
Regional context
The 24th summit takes place amid renewed continental efforts to accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and enhance coordination between overlapping regional blocs.
With a combined population of over 600 million and a total GDP exceeding $900 billion, COMESA remains one of Africa’s largest and most influential regional economic organizations, established in 1994 to promote trade liberalization, investment cooperation, and regional integration.
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