Dr. Mohamed Fared Saleh:
- The launch of Regional Digital Trade and E-Commerce Program in the Middle East and North Africa represents an important step toward strengthening economic integration.
- Electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) is a key element in reducing risks in digital transactions.
- Human capacity building is the true guarantee for turning plans into tangible results.
Ms. Angelina Eichhorst:
- The European Union is committed to supporting Egypt in unlocking the full potential of digital trade and creating cross-border and transnational opportunities.
- We are working to open new business horizons and enhance competitiveness.
Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade (MIFT Minister), participated in the launch of the Regional Digital Trade and E-Commerce Program in the Middle East and North Africa, in the presence of Ms. Angelina Eichhorst, Ambassador and Head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt, as well as representatives of the European Union, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the International Trade Centre (ITC), and a number of development partners and international institutions. This comes within the framework of supporting digital transformation efforts and enhancing intra-regional and regional trade.
The Regional Digital Trade and E-Commerce Program in the Middle East and North Africa is co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the International Trade Centre (ITC).
The program is based on five main pillars aimed at building an enabling environment for digital trade, including strengthening strategic and regulatory frameworks, implementing digital trade tools such as electronic payments and electronic signatures, developing trade facilitation procedures, supporting private sector empowerment and capacity building, and enhancing regional cooperation and integration in this field.
The Regional Digital Trade and E-Commerce Program in the Middle East and North Africa is being implemented in close cooperation with national partners. It aims to advance e-commerce and digital trade across the region, thereby enhancing business opportunities and contributing to the creation of decent jobs through strengthened public–private sector cooperation.
Dr. Mohamed Farid, MIFT Minister, emphasized the strategic role of digital transformation in modernizing value chains, facilitating cross-border trade, and enhancing the competitiveness of Egyptian companies.
The Minister affirmed that the launch of the Regional Digital Trade and E-Commerce Program in the Middle East and North Africa represents an important step toward strengthening economic integration, noting that this development is the result of a long process of structural reforms aimed at improving the business environment and strengthening digital infrastructure.
He also pointed out that the expansion of internet and mobile phone services has been a key factor in accelerating digital trade and broadening its scope.
He explained that the development of the telecommunications sector and the expansion of its services alone were not sufficient, but rather required integration with the advancement of financial services and electronic payment platforms. This ecosystem has enabled individuals and businesses to carry out commercial transactions with ease, including payments, insurance services, and consumer finance, which has significantly contributed to the growth of e-commerce.
The Minister also highlighted the importance of strengthening trust in the digital trade environment through the implementation of electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) systems and the activation of digital contracts. He noted that these mechanisms help reduce risks associated with electronic transactions and provide greater legal certainty regarding the identity of transacting parties, thereby supporting the stability and growth of the sector.
He affirmed that electronic dispute resolution constitutes a fundamental pillar in supporting digital trade, particularly given the cross-border nature of such transactions. He pointed to the challenges associated with determining the applicable law in disputes involving parties from different jurisdictions, emphasizing the need to develop efficient and rapid dispute resolution frameworks, in line with successful international models that rely on digital solutions to expedite procedures and ensure justice.
Dr. Farid added that MIFT is working to adopt ambitious policies to promote the use of modern technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence, to support digital trade. He explained that the Ministry aims to establish a Trade Tech Sandbox at the Foreign Trade Training Center affiliated with MIFT, with the objective of supporting startups and entrepreneurs.
He further noted that this environment will enable the private sector to develop innovative platforms based on big data analytics—both structured and unstructured—helping provide advanced advisory services to exporters and enabling them to make data-driven decisions regarding markets and export opportunities.
The Minister noted that MIFT is working to enhance the competitiveness of the services sector, thereby contributing to diversifying Egypt’s export structure and increasing the contribution of non-traditional sectors to the domestic economy.
He emphasized that maximizing the benefits of these initiatives requires investment in human capital through the implementation of comprehensive capacity-building and training programs for MIFT personnel and relevant entities, in cooperation with development partners, to ensure the availability of qualified professionals capable of efficiently executing these policies.
Dr. Farid further stressed that having innovative ideas and ambitious plans alone is not sufficient; they must be accompanied by strong implementation capacities to ensure tangible outcomes on the ground. He underlined that the ultimate objective is to achieve real impact reflected in increased exports and enhanced competitiveness of the Egyptian economy.
For her part, Ms. Angelina Eichhorst, EU Ambassador to Egypt, stated: “The European Union reaffirms its commitment to supporting Egypt in unlocking the full potential of digital trade and connectivity, and in creating cross-border and transnational opportunities. Together with all our partners, we are working to open new business horizons, enhance competitiveness, achieve true integration, and drive shared prosperity in the region.”
The event witnessed the participation of several key program partners in Egypt, including the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), the Egyptian Customs Authority, the General Organization for Export and Import Control ( GOEIC), the Personal Data Protection Center (PDPC), the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA), in addition to representatives from the private sector, including the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce (FEDCOC).
