Indonesia, Egypt to expand trade and investment ties through Aswan

Egypt and Indonesia are exploring ways to increase bilateral trade, which currently exceeds $1 billion annually, while identifying new opportunities in logistics, mining, agriculture and investment, including through Egypt’s southern gateway of Aswan.

The latest discussions took place on July 29, when Indonesian Ambassador to Cairo Kuntjoro Giri Waseso met members of the Aswan Chamber of Commerce, chaired by Hossam Al-Ansari. The meeting followed a July 24 meeting between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila.

According to Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS), Waseso said Indonesia wants to increase its trade volume with Egypt and highlighted Indonesia’s investment presence in the Egyptian market through various projects. The Aswan meeting focused on cooperation in industry, mining, food products, logistics and investment. Chamber officials presented Aswan’s natural resources, including its mining resources, quarry materials and marble industry.

The chamber also highlighted Aswan’s solar energy potential and sought Indonesian expertise to support the local manufacture of components for solar power stations, which are currently imported, SIS reported.

Aswan as a gateway to African markets
The discussions also explored Aswan’s potential role in facilitating Indonesian trade with Sudan and wider African markets.

Hossam Al-Ansari said Egypt’s plans to expand trade with Africa and Sudan through its southern gateway were presented during the meeting. He proposed positioning Aswan as a hub for Indonesian exports to Sudan and other African markets. An invitation was also extended to the Indonesian side to invest in the logistics zone being developed in Karkar, south of Aswan. The proposal would leverage Egypt’s logistics infrastructure and investment facilities to support regional trade.

The Indonesian Embassy’s commercial attaché agreed to organise a joint meeting involving Egyptian and Indonesian exporters, importers and manufacturers. The embassy also agreed to provide the Aswan Chamber with a database of Indonesian traders and information on market requirements.

Wider bilateral trade agenda
The latest developments follow renewed discussions between the two governments on strengthening economic ties. During their July 24 meeting in Manila, Abdelatty said Egypt attaches high priority to strengthening its relationship with Indonesia and stressed the importance of increasing trade and mutual investment in line with the countries’ strategic partnership, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Abdelatty highlighted investment opportunities in Egypt, particularly in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, which he described as a regional hub for industry and logistics and a gateway to African and Arab markets.

He also called for greater agricultural cooperation and the removal of non-tariff barriers affecting Egyptian agricultural exports, including vegetables and fruits, to the Indonesian market. The two foreign ministers also discussed cooperation through ASEAN and the Developing Eight Organisation for Economic Cooperation (D-8), with Egypt expressing its intention to participate actively in D-8 meetings during Indonesia’s 2026–2027 presidency.

Earlier in February, Abdelatty had also called for stronger Egypt-Indonesia trade and investment ties, including a proposed joint business forum involving private-sector representatives from both countries. The discussions also covered agricultural cooperation and efforts to address non-tariff barriers affecting Egyptian food exports to Indonesia.

The latest Aswan discussions add a regional logistics and investment dimension to the broader bilateral agenda, with both sides identifying opportunities to expand commercial links and connect Egyptian and Indonesian businesses with wider African markets.