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Ali Salem: Madbouly’s UN Speech Delivered Decisive Messages to Protect Egypt’s Water Rights

Future of a Nation Party Assistant Secretary-General: Egypt Supports Peoples’ Development and Rejects Any Threat to Its Water Security

Ali Salem: The Nile Is a Lifeline, and Egypt’s Position Before the International Community Combines Rights and Cooperation

Ali Salem, Assistant Secretary-General of the Future of a Nation Party’s Internal and External Trade Secretariat and a member of the African and Arab Cooperation Committees at the Federation of Egyptian Industries, praised the key messages delivered by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly in his address to the United Nations General Assembly.

Salem said the speech reflected Egypt’s established principles in addressing the Nile water issue and highlighted to the international community the challenges surrounding Egypt’s water security.

He stressed that the Prime Minister’s description of Egypt’s water security as an existential issue that cannot be compromised reflects the importance of the Nile River to Egyptians. The river is not merely a source of water or a pillar of economic activity, but is directly linked to the lives of more than 100 million people, as well as food security, agriculture, industry and sustainable development.

Salem explained that the strength of Egypt’s message before the international community lies in combining adherence to its water rights with a call for cooperation. He noted that Egypt does not oppose any country’s right to development or to benefit from its resources, while maintaining that international law and the principles of equitable and reasonable utilization of shared water resources must be respected.

Egypt Upholds Its Right to Protect Water Security

Ali Salem said the Prime Minister’s reaffirmation of Egypt’s legitimate and guaranteed right to protect its water security sends a clear message that safeguarding the country’s water resources remains a top national priority, particularly amid limited resources and rising demand resulting from population growth and the expansion of economic activities.

He added that this position is consistent with Egypt’s approach toward regional cooperation, stressing the need to establish clear rules that enable development for all countries in the region without harming the interests of any state. He pointed out that water issues inherently require dialogue, coordination, information sharing and confidence-building.

Salem noted that raising the issue from the United Nations platform underscores the importance of placing transboundary water resources on the international community’s agenda, particularly as climate change, population growth and increasing development needs create new challenges for water-resource management.

The Nile Is a Lifeline, Not Merely an Economic Resource

Salem explained that describing the Nile as a lifeline for Egyptians reflects a historical, geographical and economic reality. He stressed that Egypt’s dependence on the Nile makes preserving its flows and water rights directly connected to national security, development, and social and economic stability.

He said discussions on the future of water resources in the region should be based on balancing countries’ right to development with the need to avoid causing harm to other states. He emphasized that cooperation can provide a pathway toward shared interests that benefit the peoples of the African continent.

International Cooperation Is Egypt’s Path to Protecting Water Rights

Ali Salem affirmed that Egypt believes transboundary water resources should be an area for cooperation rather than conflict. He explained that Cairo remains committed to diplomatic and legal channels to reach solutions that safeguard the rights and interests of all parties.

He added that the Prime Minister’s address to the United Nations presented an integrated Egyptian vision that combines defending water security with openness to cooperation. He said the messages delivered by the Egyptian state reaffirm its consistent position and commitment to protecting its vital interests, while supporting the right of the region’s peoples to development and stability.

Salem said the importance of these messages lies in placing the Nile water issue within its international framework and emphasizing that managing shared resources requires clear rules and mutual commitment to ensure the fair and sustainable use of water, while safeguarding the rights of current and future generations.

• Sawiris Foundation is the “Impact & Accessibility Partner” for the Festival’s ninth edition, enhancing accessibility for people with disabilities, extending the Festival and cinema experience to wider audiences, while continuing to support talents and artisans

Sawiris Foundation, the “Impact & Accessibility Partner” of the ninth edition of the El Gouna Film Festival, announced the expansion of its partnership with the Festival this year through two new tracks: enhancing the accessibility of the Festival experience for people with disabilities in partnership with Qaderoon Bekhtelaf,and extending access to the Festival and cinema experience to wider audiences beyond El Gouna. In parallel, the Foundation continues to support filmmakers and young talents, handicrafts and creative industries, alongside a broader presence for the Sawiris Cultural Award at the Festival’s CineGouna platform. The ninth edition of the Festival will take place from October 15 to 23, 2026.
In numbers, this year’s partnership includes support for around 120 emerging filmmakers through CineGouna Emerge, more than 30 artisans and exhibitors through The Handicrafts Cabana, a wider handicrafts track benefiting 240 artisans and household members overall, and a cinematic journey reaching six governorates beyond El Gouna, alongside enhanced accessibility across the Festival to ensure a more inclusive experience for people with disabilities and visitors from diverse backgrounds.
This expansion comes as Sawiris Foundation celebrates its 25th anniversary, reflecting its vision of development as an investment in people, their capabilities, and their opportunities, as well as its belief in the role that culture and the arts can play in nurturing talent, creating professional and economic pathways, preserving heritage, and expanding participation in cultural and artistic life.
This year’s partnership introduces the GFF Accessibility Initiative, focused on enhancing accessibility for people with disabilities. In this context, Sawiris Foundation is working with the Festival to develop a more accessible experience through physical and non-physical accessibility measures, including improving mobility and access across Festival spaces, providing appropriate ramps and pathways, sign language services, and enhancing the accessibility of content and digital platforms, in collaboration with Qaderoon Bekhtelaf and with technical implementation by Together Inclusive. The initiative is rooted in a vision that considers accessibility an integral part of the Festival experience, ensuring that participation goes beyond simply being able to enter the event, to enabling people with disabilities to experience and participate in it with greater independence and inclusivity.
As part of its continued support for emerging filmmakers, Sawiris Foundation is supporting CineGouna Emerge, which provides mentorship and industry engagement for more than 120 emerging filmmakers, with post-Festival follow-through for alumni, in partnership with the European Union (EU). The initiative provides participants with opportunities to develop their skills, build professional networks, and engage directly with the film industry.
The Foundation also continues its support for the Cinema for Humanity Award, which recognizes the film that most substantively addresses humanity-centered themes, highlighting the ability of cinema to address important human and social issues and create spaces for dialogue and engagement.
Under CineGouna Funding, the Foundation is providing a production grant supporting one Egyptian film, building on last year’s support for Captain Cabonga by Amir Elshinawy. The Foundation is also supporting the Sawiris Screenplay Lab pitching session for the winners and shortlisted writers in the Best Screenplay category of the Sawiris Cultural Award, delivered in partnership with Sard by Mariam Naoum. The initiative provides participants with an opportunity to further develop their projects and present them to producers and film industry professionals, creating a practical bridge between writing and the screen.
This year also marks a broader presence for the Sawiris Cultural Award at the Festival through The Sawiris Cultural Awards booth, a dedicated space marking more than two decades of the Award and promoting its role in supporting writers and creators. The booth also highlights the Sawiris Screenplay Lab and its role in creating a bridge from writing to the screen, while strengthening the Award’s presence within a platform that brings together filmmakers, producers, and industry professionals from Egypt, the region, and around the world.
Building on the Foundation’s longstanding support for handicrafts through its partnership with the Festival, this year’s initiative includes The Handicrafts Cabana, featuring more than 30 Egyptian exhibitors, delivered in partnership with Tawasol as part of a wider handicrafts track benefiting 240 artisans and household members overall. The Cabana provides participants with a platform to showcase their products to a wider audience and connect with new customers, markets, and opportunities. This reflects the Foundation’s vision of combining the preservation of Egyptian crafts and heritage with the creation of meaningful and sustainable economic opportunities for those working in the sector.
The Foundation is also continuing its collaboration with Tawasol through the GFF Bag, the Festival’s official bag, which is handmade by 30 women artisans. The initiative brings together support for handicrafts and the creation of economic opportunities for women artisans, while giving their work greater visibility among Festival audiences.
Through the Audience Reach initiative, the partnership also aims to broaden access to the Festival experience for wider audiences, while extending the cultural experience beyond the Festival’s immediate setting. This initiative complements the Foundation’s broader vision of using culture and cinema to create opportunities for wider participation and engagement.
In this context, Laila Hosni, Executive Director of Sawiris Foundation, said: “As Sawiris Foundation celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, our participation reaffirms our belief that culture and the arts are not separate from development, but an integral part of investing in people and their ability to express themselves, create, and participate. Cinema, literature, and the arts not only preserve the memory and identity of communities, but also create spaces for dialogue, nurture talent, and open new opportunities and pathways for individuals and communities.”
She added : “Our partnership with El Gouna Film Festival this year, as its ‘Impact & Accessibility Partner,’ builds on this vision. Through this partnership, we are working to remove barriers that may limit access to the festival experience, enhance accessibility for people with disabilities, and extend the festival’s impact to wider audiences beyond El Gouna. At the same time, we continue to support emerging talent, filmmakers, and artisans, creating broader pathways for them to grow and build sustainable careers.”
From his side, Amr Mansi, Co-Founder and Executive Director of El Gouna Film Festival, expressed his pride in the long-standing partnership, saying: “We value our strategic partnership with Sawiris Foundation and are proud of the role the Foundation plays in supporting and bringing to life the festival’s mission, ‘Cinema for Humanity.’ This collaboration continues to grow year after year, strengthening the festival’s focus on accessibility and social impact, whether by creating new opportunities for young people, emerging talent, and filmmakers, or by expanding access to cinema and making the festival experience more accessible to diverse audiences.”
The partnership reaffirms Sawiris Foundation’s commitment to harnessing culture and the arts to create opportunities and broaden participation. Through its support for emerging talent and filmmakers, the empowerment of artisans, its support for Egyptian cinema, and its efforts to enhance accessibility, the Foundation continues to expand access to cultural and artistic experiences for wider audiences.
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About Sawiris Foundation
Established in 2001, Sawiris Foundation is one of Egypt’s pioneering development foundations adopting an evidence-based approach to addressing multidimensional poverty and empowering changemakers. Through partnerships with government entities, civil society organizations, the private sector, and international partners, the Foundation designs and supports development solutions that respond to real needs and are grounded in evidence, measurement, and continuous learning.
The Foundation’s work focuses on education, economic and social empowerment, and support for culture and the arts, with particular emphasis on developing models that can be scaled and adopted more broadly. It aims to transform proven interventions into solutions whose impact extends beyond individual projects, contributing to the development of systems, practices, and policies to achieve deeper and more sustainable impact.

About El Gouna Film Festival
Established in 2017, El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) is one of the leading film festivals in the Middle East. It aims to showcase a diverse selection of films to passionate and enthusiastic cinema audiences, foster greater cultural exchange through the art of filmmaking, and connect filmmakers from the region with their international counterparts to encourage collaboration and cultural exchange.
The festival is also committed to discovering new cinematic voices and serving as a catalyst for the development of cinema in the Arab world, particularly through its industry arm, CineGouna Platform.

Bahr Legal Systems Group, chaired by Counselor Abdel Razek Shuaib, former President of the State Lawsuits Authority, honored businessman Ali Salem, Assistant Secretary of the Mostaqbal Watan Party’s Internal and Foreign Trade Secretariat, a member of the Engineering Industries Chamber, and a member of the African Cooperation and Arab Cooperation committees at the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI), in recognition of his role in supporting the industrial and business communities and his contributions to strengthening economic and trade cooperation.

The ceremony was attended by Counselor Hassouna Tawfik, former First Deputy President of the State Council.

The recognition highlighted Salem’s efforts to support issues related to industry, trade, and investment, as well as his focus on strengthening cooperation with Arab and African markets and establishing new channels of communication between the business community and various economic institutions.

Counselor Abdel Razek Shuaib said honoring influential figures in the economic and industrial sectors reflects the important role played by the private sector in supporting the country’s development efforts. He noted that the current phase requires greater cooperation and coordination among various institutions and entities involved in economic affairs.

He added that supporting businessmen and industrialists and encouraging initiatives aimed at developing the investment and production environment are important factors in strengthening the national economy’s ability to address challenges and create new opportunities for investors.

For his part, businessman Ali Salem expressed his appreciation for the recognition, stressing that honoring professionals working in the fields of industry and trade provides an incentive to continue efforts aimed at strengthening the national economy.

Salem said industry represents one of the key pillars of economic development, explaining that supporting local products, increasing production capacity, and opening new markets for Egyptian products are among the areas that require continued cooperation between the government, the business community, and the industrial sector.

He highlighted the importance of strengthening Arab and African cooperation and leveraging Egypt’s capabilities and strategic location to build new economic and trade partnerships. He emphasized that the private sector has significant opportunities to contribute to increasing investment flows and intra-regional trade.

He added that integrating legal, economic, and industrial expertise can help create a more supportive investment environment, particularly amid the growing adoption of technology and digital transformation across various sectors, which can help improve service efficiency and facilitate procedures for investors.

The ceremony underscored the importance of maintaining continued communication between the business community and specialized institutions to support the exchange of expertise and promote perspectives that serve investment, industry, and trade priorities, while creating opportunities for new partnerships and projects.

Bahr Legal Systems Group, formerly known as the “Arab Center for Information Technology and Legal Systems,” specializes in the automation and development of judicial and legal systems across the Arab world. The group focuses on transforming legal operations into smart digital experiences and supporting the digital transformation of relevant institutions and entities. It also provides legal systems development, legal reference management, and specialized legal training services, supporting the use of technology in the development of legal operations and services.

The Egyptian Junior Business Association (EJB), headed by Mohamed Abou Basha, stressed that the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade’s launch of the “Egypt Sub-Fund for Industrial Investment” represents an important strategic step toward enhancing the industrial sector’s capacity for growth and expansion, while opening new pathways for productive and export-oriented investments. This aligns with the state’s direction toward building a more productive and competitive economy capable of penetrating global markets.

The association stated that the fund represents a qualitative addition to the financing and investment ecosystem supporting the industrial sector, particularly amid high interest rates and financing costs that continue to pose growing challenges for industrial companies.

These conditions increase the cost of investment, expansion, and scaling up production capacity, which in turn affects production costs and the ability of Egyptian companies to compete in global markets.

It added that the importance of the fund extends beyond providing financing to directing capital toward industrial sectors with high added value and strong export potential, deepening local components, localizing technology, enhancing the competitiveness of Egyptian products, and increasing foreign currency inflows through export expansion.

The EJB views the state’s entry, through the Sovereign Fund of Egypt, into establishing a specialized industrial investment platform as a step that can help attract additional private capital and investment institutions, while creating partnerships with global investors and industrial companies. This could pave the way for establishing new projects, expanding existing ones, and transferring expertise and technology to the Egyptian market.

The association praised the government and the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade for their efforts to develop the investment environment, diversify financing tools, and enhance the Egyptian economy’s ability to attract productive investments. It emphasized that industry remains one of the key drivers of sustainable growth due to its contribution to job creation, local value addition, reducing reliance on imports, boosting exports, and strengthening the overall structure of the economy.

In this context, Eng. Shady Arafat, Head of the Industry and Energy Committee at the Egyptian Junior Business Association, stated that the launch of the fund represents a major initiative that could serve as a key driver of the state’s efforts to promote industrial development and exports. This is particularly important given that a large number of factories and industrial companies have clear plans to expand and increase their production capacities, while high financing costs and interest rates may undermine the economic feasibility of these plans and lead to delays in investment decisions.

Arafat added that the success of the fund will depend on its ability to provide genuine developmental financing and investment that supports the state’s industrial strategy, rather than treating it merely as a tool aimed at generating an investment return that exceeds the cost of borrowing. He stressed the importance of directing its investments toward companies and projects capable of increasing production, deepening local components, creating jobs, substituting imports, and expanding exports.

He explained that supporting export-oriented industrial companies represents one of the most important pillars of the fund’s success, given its direct impact on increasing exports and foreign currency inflows. He affirmed that building a strong industrial base capable of competing globally is the most sustainable path toward strengthening the state’s foreign currency reserves.

Eng. Shady Arafat, Head of the Industry and Energy Committee at the EJB, added that the initiative could present a significant opportunity for family businesses, startups, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which represent a broad segment of Egypt’s economic fabric.

These businesses have strong potential to create jobs, increase added value, and expand productive activity, provided that financing and investment tools suited to their nature and different stages of growth are made available.
Arafat stressed the importance of announcing the fund’s operational mechanism and the criteria for selecting targeted companies and projects in the coming period. This will ensure greater clarity for the business community and enhance the ability of qualified companies to benefit from the initiative.

He noted that the EJB places its expertise and extensive member network at the service of this initiative, offering to contribute to raising awareness of the fund and its eligibility criteria, while nominating qualified industrial companies and projects that could benefit from it. This would help direct financing and investment toward companies best positioned to achieve the state’s industrial and export objectives.

Eng. Shady Arafat concluded by affirming the EJB’s aspiration that the fund will contribute to launching a new generation of Egyptian industrial companies capable of growing, expanding, and transforming into export-oriented enterprises that can compete strongly in regional and global markets. He also highlighted the potential for the fund to serve as a genuine platform for partnership between the state, the private sector, investors, and financial institutions.
Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sovereign Fund of Egypt for Investment and Development, had issued a decree establishing the “Egypt Sub-Fund for Industrial Investment”, with a paid-up capital of EGP 500 million and authorized capital of EGP 10 billion. The fund aims to support export-oriented industrial companies, deepen local components, localize technology, increase production capacities, and boost foreign currency inflows.

The fund targets promising industrial sectors, including automotive components, electronics and electrical appliances, food and beverages, textiles and ready-made garments, and pharmaceuticals. It will focus on forging partnerships with the private sector and investment institutions, while investing in both existing and new industrial projects.

Under the auspices of Future of Egypt Authority for Sustainable Development, Black Diamond, a leading conference and exhibition organizer, is set to host the sixth edition of The Investor conferences on Tuesday, 29 September, at the Nile Ritz-Carlton Cairo, under the theme “Industry and Real Estate: Challenges and Shared Growth.”

The conference will discuss the current state of the construction industry amid geopolitical challenges affecting global supply chains and putting pressure on energy prices and production costs.
Discussions will also focus on efforts to localize the building materials industry, particularly as Egypt’s imports of building materials reached $13.9bn in 2025.
The event will also address Egypt’s urban development landscape and ways to support government plans to expand the Fourth-Generation Cities model, accelerate digitalization and automation across the real estate sector, and advance the development of green and smart buildings and the localization of related infrastructure industries.
Participants will further discuss key challenges facing Egypt’s real estate sector, including rising construction costs and financing burdens.
On the occasion, Eng. Tarek Shoukry, Chairman of Real Estate Development Chamber at Federation of Egyptian Industries and Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Economic Affairs Committee, said that the conference comes at a critical time, coinciding with government efforts to regulate real estate development market and proposals aimed at strengthening its regulatory framework.
The discussions will also address how to balance the rights and obligations of market stakeholders, as well as the challenges facing real estate development companies.
Shoukry added that the conference will examine the close integration between the building materials and real estate industries. Discussions will focus on reducing the cost of building materials production, particularly energy costs; facilitating access to production inputs; upgrading production lines; encouraging the adoption of modern technologies; improving operational efficiency; and expanding the use of renewable energy and clean production practices. These measures would help factories reduce energy consumption, improve product quality, and lower production costs.
For his part, Eng. Ahmed Sabbour, Chairman and Managing Director of Al Ahly Sabbour and Secretary-General of The Investor conferences, said that the next phase requires closer cooperation among the real estate, construction, and building materials industries, as well as with government authorities, to reduce cost pressures.
He highlighted the importance of continued cooperation between state institutions and private sector in real estate industry, which drives activity across around 100 industries, both directly and indirectly.
Sabbour pointed out that the conference will facilitate an extensive discussion on the Egyptian Federation of Real Estate Developers, describing it as an important step toward regulating the market and establishing an institutional framework to improve market performance and strengthen confidence among all stakeholders.
He said the federation would also help raise professional standards by establishing clear criteria for conducting real estate development activities and ensuring that companies have the technical and financial capabilities required to implement their projects. This, he added, would help safeguard citizens’ rights and ensure the delivery of high-quality real estate products.
Ahmed Aborayaa, Chairman of Black Diamond, stated that the sixth edition of The Investor brings building materials manufacturers and real estate developers together for direct discussions on ways to manage costs and establish an integrated framework for developing Egypt’s real estate market.
He said that the framework should cover legislation, effective urban planning, and measures to improve the efficiency and performance of companies operating in the market.
Aborayaa added that the sixth edition will feature three expanded sessions bringing together representatives of the building materials and real estate industries, with the aim of developing recommendations to be submitted to government officials, in line with the approach adopted by the company in previous editions.
He concluded that the discussions come amid growing real estate investment, the entry of new companies into the market, and efforts to attract both domestic and foreign investment, all of which require a clearer and more stable business environment.

· Siraj Badqail: We are committed to enhancing the customer experience and providing easier and more flexible payment solutions.

· Ahmed Ghazi: The collaboration aligns with our vision to support the transition toward a less cash-dependent society.

Jameel Finance – Egypt, one of the leading providers of innovative financing solutions in the Egyptian market, announced that its customers can now pay their installments through Al Ahly Momkn’s payment channels, available across Egypt. This step aims to expand electronic payment options and provide Jameel Finance customers with a more convenient and flexible payment experience.

The partnership comes as part of both companies’ shared vision to develop the digital payments ecosystem and provide innovative solutions that facilitate installment payments and enable customers to keep track of their financial obligations. This is supported by a network includes more than 150,000 points of sale and over 5 million users, in line with Egypt’s direction toward digital transformation and efforts to promote financial inclusion.

Through this collaboration, Jameel Finance customers will be able to pay their installments through all Al Ahly Momkn payment channels, allowing them to complete payments easily and at any time. This provides customers with greater convenience and flexibility while further enhancing their overall experience.

Siraj Badqail, CEO and Managing Director of Jameel Finance – Egypt, said: “This partnership represents a new step in our ongoing strategy to enhance our customers’ experience by providing easy and secure digital payment solutions that give them greater flexibility in managing their financial obligations.” He added: “We believe that collaborating with partners that have robust infrastructure, such as Al Ahly Momkn, helps expand the reach of our services and enables us to reach a broader segment of customers, in line with our vision to support digital transformation and enhance financial inclusion in Egypt.”

Ahmed Ghazi, CEO and Managing Director of Al Ahly Momkn, said: “We are proud to collaborate with Jameel Finance. This partnership comes as part of our strategy to expand the scope of electronic payment services and provide innovative financial solutions that meet the needs of different customer segments.” He added: “This partnership contributes to providing secure, easy, and fast payment methods, supporting efforts to transition toward a less cash-dependent society and enhancing the quality of digital financial services offered in the Egyptian market.”

The introduction of this service reflects Jameel Finance’s commitment to expanding the payment options available to its customers and providing easier and more flexible solutions that keep pace with their needs, contributing to enhancing the customer experience and supporting the growth of Egypt’s digital payments ecosystem.