African leaders are expected in Egypt on Friday for the inaugural Alamein Africa Forum, a three-day meeting aimed at expanding trade, investment and economic cooperation across the continent.
More than 20 heads of state and government representatives are expected to attend the forum in the Mediterranean city of Alamein, alongside business leaders, bankers and development institutions.
The meeting is part of Egypt’s efforts to strengthen its economic engagement with other African countries, particularly as China and Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates, expand their presence on the continent.
The forum will focus on infrastructure, trade, agriculture, healthcare, mining, technology and renewable energy. Egyptian officials said the event is expected to become a biennial gathering under an African Union mandate.
Egypt estimates its investments across Africa at about $14bn, including its involvement in Tanzania’s $3bn Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project, which was built by a consortium led by Egyptian companies.
The forum comes amid concerns over the low level of intra-African trade. Trade among African countries stood at $192bn in 2023, representing about 15 per cent of the continent’s total trade, compared with more than 55 per cent in Asia and over 70 per cent in Europe.
Africa also attracted about $70bn in foreign direct investment in 2025, compared with roughly $1.6tn invested globally, according to the United Nations.
The summit is also taking place against the backdrop of the long-running dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over the $5bn Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile.
Ethiopia considers the dam essential to its economic development, while Egypt has maintained that its operation could affect its Nile water supplies without a binding agreement.
More than a decade of negotiations between the two countries has failed to produce a settlement.
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