Hala Arafa - Beth:

The meetings of the Saudi-Egyptian working group concerned with following up on the implementation of the recommendations issued by the seventeenth session of the Saudi-Egyptian Joint Committee concluded in the capital, Riyadh, which was chaired by Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, Minister of Commerce and Minister of Information in charge, and for the Egyptian side by Mrs. Nevin Gamea, Minister of Trade and Industry. The meeting culminated in the signing of the minutes of the first meeting of the working group, headed by Minister Al-Qasabi and Minister Nevin; With the participation of representatives of the Egyptian and Saudi authorities from the various concerned ministries, and in the presence of Ambassador Ahmed Farouk, the Egyptian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and senior officials from the Saudi and Egyptian sides.

For his part, Dr. Maged Al-Qasabi affirmed the Kingdom’s keenness to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries to distinct levels that reflect the strategic bilateral relations linking Cairo and Riyadh, pointing out that Egypt represents the heart of the Arab world and enjoys a special status among all the peoples of the Arab countries.

Al-Qasabi praised the great developments that Egypt is witnessing during the current stage, especially with regard to infrastructure and providing an attractive climate for investments, noting that the Kingdom is one of the most important countries investing in the Egyptian market in a large number of productive sectors, which contribute to providing thousands of job opportunities.

The Egyptian Minister of Industry and Trade, Nevin Gamea, said that the committee represents a basic pillar for supporting the bilateral relations between Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in various fields and at all levels.

The Egyptian minister pointed to the increase in the rates of trade exchange between the two countries last year, despite the negative repercussions of the emerging Corona virus on various global economies, which reflects the specificity of Egyptian-Saudi relations at the official and popular levels, noting that Egyptian exports to Saudi Arabia last year amounted to one billion and 995 million dollars, compared to about one billion and $699 million in 2020, an increase of 17.4%.

Signing the agreement - multiple areas

The agreement included strengthening joint cooperation in a large number of areas, which included trade cooperation through the continuation of joint cooperation to solve the challenges facing bilateral trade and investors in the two countries, and increasing the volume of trade exchange to achieve the hopes of the two brotherly peoples, especially during the Corona pandemic period, in addition to adhering to the provisions of the free trade zone. The Greater Arab League, the decisions of the Economic and Social Council, the removal of all obstacles to the development of trade exchange, and the continuation of the existing coordination in international and regional positions and forums, especially within the framework of the World Trade Organization, the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

In the industrial field

It was agreed to study the signing of a memorandum of understanding to enhance joint cooperation between the Industrial Development Authority and the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones, as well as the Federation of Saudi Chambers to generalize industrial investment opportunities and the system of specialized industrial complexes established by the Egyptian state to the Saudi private sector.

investment

The two parties agreed to work on activating the executive program for institutional cooperation, supporting investment cooperation relations between the two countries, exchanging information and technical expertise, laws and regulations related to investment in the two countries, and organizing a workshop for the Egyptian side by the Saudi Ministry of Investment to review the services provided to investors through electronic channels and business centers in the Kingdom, in addition to Coordination between the Ministry of Investment, the Federation of Saudi Chambers and the Egyptian General Investment Authority to prepare for holding the Saudi-Egyptian Investment Forum in the capital Riyadh this year to present investment opportunities in both countries, as well as what has been recently taken to facilitate the investment climate in Egypt.

Exhibitions

It was agreed to overcome all obstacles facing the establishment of exhibitions and conferences in both countries, and to invite the Saudi side to participate periodically and annually in the activities of the Cairo International Fair, as well as Egypt’s participation in the Jeddah International Fair.

Small and Medium Enterprises

The two parties agreed to quickly reach the final version of the draft memorandum of understanding between the two sides in the field of technical support and transfer of expertise, and to enhance joint cooperation in the development and development of the medium and small enterprise sector in several areas, including enhancing demand, ease of doing business, innovation and technology adoption, financing, and support for entrepreneurship. Business, education, skills development and capacity development.

export development

The importance of reaching the final version of the draft memorandum of understanding to enhance cooperation in the field of developing intra-trade movement between the two countries was stressed.

Palms and dates

The Saudi side was provided with a file on the dates sector in Egypt and the Egyptian government’s contributions to the advancement of this sector, as well as investment opportunities for joint cooperation.

Specifications and Standards

It was agreed to hold the fourth meeting of the Technical Committee for Standardization and Metrology at the end of next May in Cairo, as well as an agreement to hold a meeting via video conference technology for the technical team in the field of standards and metrology to discuss technical issues of common interest, especially in the field of mutual recognition of conformity certificates.

The financial and banking field

The Egyptian side welcomed the issuance of the Saudi Cabinet’s decision regarding opening branches of Banque Misr in the Kingdom, and also approving the opening of a branch of the National Bank of Egypt. It was also agreed to complete the procedures for signing a memorandum of understanding between the Central Bank of Egypt and the Saudi Central Bank in the field of banking supervision.

Agriculture, food and medicine

It was agreed to cooperate and facilitate the movement of export and trade exchange between the two countries for shipments of fresh fruits and vegetables, and to activate the role of the Livestock Risk Assessment Department, on the Saudi side, and the Central Department of Agricultural Quarantine, on the Egyptian side, to exchange all notifications, information and legislation on import and export rules as well as internal legislation and procedures Taking samples and examining agricultural quarantine, as well as continuing coordination between the concerned authorities in the two countries to facilitate the entry of Egyptian agricultural exports to the Saudi market, especially in light of the visit made by the Saudi side to Egyptian vegetable and fruit export facilities, and to inform them of the coding and tracking system for farms and export entities.

In the customs field

The two parties agreed on the continued commitment of the two sides to the decision of the Arab Economic and Social Council regarding the treatment of the products of the free zones in the member states within the framework of the Greater Free Trade Zone as the foreign product when exported to any of the member states of the zone, and the continuation of the commitment to fix the indication of origin on all products in an irremovable manner. To facilitate trade exchange.

Veterinary quarantine

It was agreed to invite the Saudi side for field visits to facilities for exporting marine fish and fish farms that depend on marine waters, and facilities that depend on groundwater, as well as to see the health status of live birds and chicks in Egyptian farms and facilities working in this field, which have been approved by the World Organization For animal health as facilities free from bird flu, and an invitation was extended to the Saudi side to visit Cairo to find out the latest developments regarding the procedures for re-exporting horses from Egypt to the Kingdom.

the health

The two parties agreed to activate the working team formed between the Saudi and Egyptian ministries of health to exchange experiences between the two sides, and to continue cooperation between the Higher Committee for Medical Specialties “Egyptian Fellowship” and the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties for cooperation in the field of mutual recognition in the field of training.

Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources

It was agreed to enhance joint cooperation in the field of oil and petrochemicals, and for the Egyptian side to provide investment opportunities available in the mining sector, as well as scientific and geological cooperation.

Electricity and new and renewable energy

It was agreed to complete the procedures for signing contracts for the electrical interconnection project, according to the planned timetable. Last October, contracts for the implementation of all components of the Saudi-Egyptian electrical interconnection project were signed, as well as the agreement to hold the ninth meeting of the Egyptian-Saudi cooperation team in the field of electricity in Cairo. During the second half of this year.

Telecommunications

It was agreed to complete the procedures for activating joint cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence and mutual recognition of electronic signature between the two countries, as well as the start of the second phase of self-employment skills courses, which in its first phase trained more than 1,500 beneficiaries, as well as the start of activating postal remittance services between the two countries.

Technical and vocational education and training

The two parties agreed on the executive formula of the cooperation program in the field of technical and vocational training signed between the two sides, while seeking to establish joint cooperation programs between Egyptian universities and their Saudi counterparts.

The environment

The two sides also agreed to enhance joint cooperation between the national environmental centers, in light of the cooperation agreement signed between the two countries in the field of environmental protection and pollution reduction.

culture and media

Developing cooperation between the two sides in the field of culture and media by preparing a memorandum of understanding to enhance joint cultural and media cooperation, activating the cooperation program in the radio and television field, as well as developing the existing cooperation between the Egyptian Middle East News Agency and the Saudi News Agency.

The areas of cooperation included in the meeting minutes also included transportation, whether by land, sea or air, manpower, housing, tourism, antiquities, Islamic affairs, youth and sports, as well as consumer affairs.