Speaking during a special dialogue session on Egypt at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, El-Sisi stressed the need to consolidate the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, ensure the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and accelerate early recovery and reconstruction across the strip.
He welcomed the start of the second phase of the Gaza agreement, calling it a pivotal step toward implementing a broader peace plan and de-escalating tensions in the region.
El-Sisi said the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit, held in October 2025, capped Egypt’s diplomatic efforts, coordinated with international partners, to halt hostilities, entrench peace, and launch a serious political track to resolve the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution and international legitimacy resolutions.
Egypt, he added, would continue engaging all relevant parties to secure a just, comprehensive, and lasting settlement ensuring the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Turning to economic challenges, El-Sisi said Egypt has lost about $9 billion in direct revenues from the Suez Canal due to recent regional tensions, underscoring the toll of instability on a critical global trade artery.
Despite the shock from these losses, he said Cairo remains committed to pursuing reform and development.
He said Egypt has implemented an ambitious economic reform programme through a comprehensive package of measures aimed at tightening fiscal and monetary policies, restoring investor confidence, upgrading the investment legislative framework, and offering targeted incentives.
These steps, he said, have improved macroeconomic indicators, boosted growth, increased private investment inflows, and won broad endorsement from international financial institutions, most notably the International Monetary Fund, as well as credit rating upgrades from major agencies.
El-Sisi underlined that strengthening the private sector is central to the reform agenda.
The government has capped public investment and launched a structured plan for the state’s gradual exit from selected assets, implemented through the State Ownership Policy and the government’s IPO programme, to widen private-sector participation and double its contribution to growth.
Addressing investors, he said the Egyptian market offers wide opportunities across sectors, with incentives focused on new and renewable energy, automotive manufacturing (including electric vehicles), pharmaceuticals, logistics, telecommunications, information technology, and artificial intelligence applications.
He urged investors to leverage Egypt’s extensive infrastructure build-out, including modern roads, rail, port, logistics, and digital networks, as well as free zones, particularly the Suez Canal Economic Zone, which he described as a strategic platform for global trade and investment.
Investors operating in Egypt, El-Sisi said, benefit not only from a large domestic market but also from preferential access to broader African and Arab markets through Egypt’s network of free-trade agreements, enabling regional and international expansion.
On global affairs, El-Sisi warned that escalating geopolitical conflicts and erosion of international legitimacy are undermining development worldwide, even as rapid digital transformation reshapes cooperation.
He said lasting peace, stability, and sustainable development depend on dialogue and international cooperation, respect for international law and the UN Charter, the peaceful settlement of disputes, avoidance of escalation, deeper economic integration, and prioritising the fight against poverty and hunger, alongside empowering business institutions and enabling the private sector to play a central role.
Several heads of state and senior international officials attended the session, including Mohamed Al-Menfi, President of Libya’s Presidential Council, and Nawaf Salam, Prime Minister of Lebanon.
The session was opened by President and Chief Executive Officer of the WEF Børge Brende, who praised Egypt’s long-standing cooperation with the Forum and said the dialogue was dedicated to exploring business opportunities in Egypt under the president’s patronage.
El-Sisi later held an interactive exchange with Brende and participants on regional developments, reiterating Egypt’s commitment to peaceful solutions and its role as a pillar of regional stability while advancing reform, growth, and international cooperation toward shared prosperity.
The 2026 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum is being held in Davos under the theme “The Spirit of Dialogue,” reflecting a renewed emphasis on diplomacy, multilateral cooperation, and consensus-building amid heightened geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, and rapid technological change.
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