10-07-2025
Athens business event explores Egypt opportunities - Economy
Business opportunities in Egypt were the focus of a "Discover Egypt" event held in Athens on Tuesday.
The gathering, co-organised by prominent Greek business bodies, aimed to boost trade and investment ties between Greece and Egypt.
The Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) hosted the event, with Enterprise Greece, the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECCI), and the Exporters' Association (SEVE) acting as co-organisers.
Its core objective was to showcase avenues for strengthening trade and investment cooperation between the two nations, particularly highlighting opportunities in key sectors for Greek businesses within the Egyptian market.
With high participation from business leaders, institutional representatives, and diplomatic figures, the event underscored the perceived importance of deepening bilateral economic relations.
The event commenced with opening remarks from Vicky Makrygianni, SEV's Director of International Relations; Rozita Kourtali, Board Member of the Hellenic Association of Greek and Mediterranean Workers; Marinos Giannopoulos, CEO of Enterprise Greece; and Panagiotis Hasapis, Executive Vice President of SEVE.
This was followed by addresses from Egypt's Ambassador to Greece Omar Amer Youssef and Greece's Ambassador to Egypt Nikolaos Papageorgiou (via video conference).
Both emphasised the strategic significance of bilateral relations and encouraged Greek businesses to explore collaborations in Egypt, particularly in areas where they possess expertise and competitive advantages.
The first thematic session, "Bilateral Trade and Investment Opportunities in Egypt," featured insights from Mohamed Youssef, Advisor to the President of Egypt's General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), and Eleni Albanti, a senior officer in the i-Services department at Eurobank.
The second session, "Doing Business in Egypt," coordinated by Panagiotis Hasapis, included contributions from Stathis Natsis, Executive Director of International Activities at TERNA; Giorgos Sarigiannis, Director of Communication and Strategy at VGROUP; Ioannis Ververidis, Commercial Director of KLEEMAN Group; and Efi Voudouri, General Manager of BAMBAI LTD.
Discussions throughout the event highlighted Egypt as a stable and emerging strategic partner for Greece in the North Africa and Eastern Mediterranean region.
Participants also noted that trade and investment relations between the two countries demonstrate strong momentum and a consistent upward trend, bolstered by geostrategic proximity, historically robust bilateral relations, and a favourable investment climate in Egypt.
Particular emphasis was placed on strategically important sectors such as energy, infrastructure, shipping, financial services, and agri-food, where Greek businesses boast significant expertise and competitive advantages.
The total value of Greek exports to Egypt in 2024 amounted to approximately €906 million (compared to €506 million in 2023), recording a spectacular increase of almost 80 percent.
This surge is mainly attributed to a significant expansion of exports of fossil fuels, lubricants and related materials.
During the same period, Greek imports from Egypt totalled €1.3 billion (compared to €1.4 billion in 2023), recording a decrease of approximately 12 per cent.
Overall, bilateral trade exceeded €2 billion, marking an increase of 12 per cent compared to 2023.
Greece currently ranks as the fourth-largest foreign investor in Egypt, with more than 200 Greek companies operating in the country.
Notably, Greek investments almost doubled in the period 2023–2024, reaching €12.1 million from €5.8 million the previous year—a fact that confirms the growing confidence of the Greek business circle.
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