Singapore, Egypt to explore free trade agreement
During President Tharman’s Egypt trip, both nations signed six MoUs and agreed to study a free trade pact to strengthen economic ties.
Singapore and Egypt have agreed to explore a free trade agreement (FTA) as part of a deepening economic partnership, during Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s state visit to Cairo from 19 to 22 September 2025. The announcement was made at the Singapore-Egypt Business Forum, co-organised by the Egypt General Authority for Investment and Free Zones and the Singapore Business Federation, where President Tharman witnessed the signing of six memoranda of understanding (MoUs) covering investment, education, arbitration and public policy cooperation.
One of the most significant MoUs was signed between Singapore’s Meinhardt and Egypt’s General Authority for Investment and Free Zones to strengthen bilateral investment ties, exchange expertise, and support sustainable development goals. Technical and vocational training was another focal point, with ITE Education Services (ITEES) partnering the Egyptian Ministry of Education, NASS Academy and Innovo Company to deliver logistics, supply chain, and hospitality training programmes. ITEES will also provide consultancy for a hospitality operations course at Saxony Egypt University for Applied Science and Technology, leading to ITEES Skills Qualification certification.
Capacity building also featured prominently among the six agreements. The Singapore International Arbitration Centre inked an MoU with Egypt’s National Training Academy (NTA) to jointly organise training programmes and promote international arbitration. The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy signed another MoU with the NTA, covering executive education, consultancy, and research exchange in public policy and administration.
Earlier in the day, President Tharman visited the Egyptian Red Crescent headquarters, where he witnessed the handover of a S$1.2 million humanitarian aid package from the Singapore Red Cross to the Egyptian Red Crescent. The donation, part of Singapore’s tenth tranche of humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza, will fund medical supplies and a mobile educational unit for Palestinian children evacuated to Egypt. With this latest tranche, Singapore and Singaporeans have contributed more than S$23 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The six MoUs signed during the visit, together with discussions on a potential FTA, underline Singapore’s commitment to strengthening ties with Egypt and expanding its presence in the Middle East and North Africa.
