Africa’s economic integration and development goals are at the center of the Alamein Africa Forum, which began in New Alamein in northern Egypt. The three-day forum opened Friday and is bringing together 1,500 officials, business representatives, investors and representatives of financial institutions from African countries.
The forum’s program includes three high-level conferences dedicated to economic development and continental integration. The meetings aim to turn development priorities into viable investments and projects while expanding trade across the continent.
Opportunities and structural challenges for Africa
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said during the opening session that Africa has significant opportunities to overcome its challenges in economic transformation and development. Madbouly said the continent has strong potential thanks to its abundant natural resources, large market and one of the youngest populations in the world.
Madbouly listed manufacturing, energy, agriculture, technology, services and the digital economy among the leading opportunity areas for Africa. At the same time, he said the continent faces challenges including access to financing, infrastructure development, high capital costs and the need to strengthen connections between markets.
Madbouly said barriers to intra-African trade and investment must be removed, noting that global economic and technological changes are reshaping supply chains as well as production, trade and investment hubs. He said these transformations require Africa to be viewed not merely as a continent facing development challenges, but as a region capable of becoming an active part of the emerging global economy.
Trade and investment gap
Egyptian Planning Minister Ahmed Rostom said the African economy is worth approximately $3.6 trillion. Rostom said that although around one-fifth of the world’s population lives on the continent, Africa’s share of global trade remains at approximately 1.5 percent.
Rostom said foreign direct investment flows into Africa are also limited relative to the continent’s potential, adding that the forum’s agenda includes food security, energy, infrastructure, financing, digital transformation, artificial intelligence and critical minerals, as well as trade.
African meetings in New Alamein
A summit of the founding countries of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) will be held in New Alamein on Saturday. Numerous African leaders and officials are expected to attend the meeting, which will be chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The African Union’s 8th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting will take place on Sunday. The meetings are being held as part of Egypt’s efforts to strengthen African economic integration, attract investment and secure financing for development projects across the continent.
The African Union approved at its February 2026 summit that the Alamein Africa Forum would be held biennially in New Alamein. The forum is jointly organized by Egypt, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and AUDA-NEPAD.
