H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, met with Mr. Philippe Delleur, Senior Vice President for International Affairs at French multinational Alstom. The meeting discussed ways to strengthen cooperation, increase the company's investments in Egypt, and advance efforts to localize industry. The meeting took place during the Global Gateway Forum organized by the European Union in the Belgian capital, Brussels.
During the meeting, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat emphasized the deep and long-standing partnership between the Egyptian and French governments, which had a pivotal role in supporting economic growth, fostering development across various sectors, and creating better opportunities for the Egyptian economy. She noted that the recent official visit of H.E. French President Emmanuel Macron to Egypt in April 2025 marked an important milestone in the trajectory of bilateral relations, reflecting the mutual trust and shared vision between Egypt and France. The visit resulted in the signing of several cooperation documents that elevated the bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership.
Minister Al-Mashat reiterated that the strong Egyptian-French relations at the governmental level open broader prospects for increasing French investments in Egypt and enhancing trade exchange. She explained that cooperation with Alstom represents a long-term strategic partnership in the fields of transportation and infrastructure, particularly in railways, metro development, signaling systems modernization, and industry localization. The Minister highlighted that Alstom, with its extensive expertise, plays a key role in supporting Egypt’s efforts to modernize its railway and urban transportation systems, improve safety and operational efficiency, and adopt sustainable transport solutions.
Dr. Al-Mashat added that the government is working to create an attractive investment climate and remove obstacles for investors to ensure that the private sector becomes a main partner in executing development plans. This is being pursued through the recently launched “Egypt’s Narrative for Economic Development,” which provides a comprehensive framework to integrate Egypt’s Vision 2030 with the government’s action program and aims to shift toward a productivity-based economic model.
The state is also keen on expanding public-private partnership opportunities, especially in sectors that support sustainable growth such as green transformation, transportation, health, and education. The goal is to create a dynamic environment that allows international partners and the private sector to contribute to achieving Egypt’s development vision and benefit from the growing Egyptian market and favorable investment climate.
During the meeting, the pivotal role of Alstom in implementing the monorail project was highlighted. It is one of Egypt’s largest urban transportation projects and among the longest monorail networks in the world, connecting new cities with Greater Cairo and promoting low-emission sustainable transport. The company is also establishing a large-scale industrial complex for railways in Borg El Arab, Alexandria.
It is worth noting that earlier this October, during a press conference with the French Ambassador Eric Chevallier, the Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation announced a joint declaration between Egypt and France. The declaration reaffirmed the strategic partnership and ongoing cooperation between the two countries. Under this agreement, France will provide €4 billion in financing to implement priority projects in Egypt in sectors such as human development (including higher education), sustainable infrastructure, and climate challenge mitigation within the framework of the country platform for the “NWFE” (Nexus of Water, Food, and Energy) program.