On September 2, 2025, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, visited the Arab Republic of Egypt, where he met with His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and senior Egyptian officials, within the framework of strengthening economic cooperation and integration between the two countries in various economic fields and sectors, in order to achieve common goals and interests of importance to the two brotherly countries.

During his meeting with His Excellency Dr. Mostafa Kamal Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt, 14 agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed between the governments of the two countries. These agreements and memoranda of cooperation were formulated in areas that reflect the interest of both countries in strengthening and raising the level of economic, trade, and investment cooperation to broader horizons. The agreements covered the fields of industry, investment, exhibitions and conferences, customs, tourism and antiquities, and sustainable development, in addition to other areas including competition protection, human resource development, housing and urban planning, social affairs, and youth.

This visit reflects the Kingdom of Bahrain’s keenness to strengthen mutual trade with the Arab Republic of Egypt and raise it to US$1 billion by 2025. It is worth noting that, according to estimates, the value of trade between the two countries reached US$661.4 million in 2024, in light of the expansion in areas of cooperation and joint investment. This visit also achieved the goal of establishing an economic base for expanding mutual investments and constructive strategic integration, and for the two countries to benefit from the integration of their resources and strategic locations, as the strengths of the Bahraini economy lie in providing a financial and legislative environment for Egyptian investors in the industrial, tourism, and banking services sectors. The cooperation between the Economic Development Board of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones in the Arab Republic of Egypt is one of the most important practical outcomes of the visit, as it provides an institutional basis for creating an environment for mutual investment and the exchange of knowledge and expertise, as well as a more open system for addressing global economic challenges.

It is worth mentioning that Bahrain has approximately 216 investment projects in Egypt, with a total value exceeding US$3 billion. These investments are spread across vital sectors such as finance and banking, which accounts for approximately US$753 million of the total investments, in addition to other important sectors such as industry, real estate, agriculture, tourism, and services. Conversely, Egyptian investments in Bahrain are witnessing remarkable growth, especially in the real estate and tourism sectors. There is also a growing Egyptian interest in the entrepreneurship and start-up sectors, reflecting the diversity of the partnership and its focus on future sectors.

The importance of this visit lies not only in the direct outcome of the agreements signed, but also in the clear strategic message that the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Arab Republic of Egypt are committed to building a deep and long-term economic partnership aimed at achieving mutual gains, laying a solid foundation for regional stability and supporting the sustainable development efforts of the peoples of the region. Such high-level diplomatic visits translate economic visions and aspirations from the realm of theory into concrete reality, proving that Arab integration is not a theoretical option or a political slogan, but rather a strategic path that strengthens the foundations of security and stability and constitutes a key driver of joint economic growth.

Note: This article has been automatically translated, the full article is available in Arabic

Ali Faqeeh, Research associate