Farid and Oman's free-zones chief discuss zone integration
Egypt's Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Mohamed Farid, met Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, chairman of Oman's Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones, on 31 August 2026 to discuss integrating the two countries' special economic and free zones, according to Daily News Egypt. The meeting looked at proposals that would let Egyptian companies use Oman's free and economic zones to complete manufacturing processes and re-export products to Asian markets, while Oman would draw on Egypt's location and its industrial and logistics capabilities to reach markets of its own, according to Zawya, which said its report was based on an official statement. Daily News Egypt and Zawya both published their accounts of the meeting on the same day it took place.
The two officials' titles point to the institutional weight behind the talks. Farid heads Egypt's Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade; Al Yousef chairs the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones, known as OPAZ, a role similar in scope to that of Egypt's General Authority for Investment and Free Zones, known as GAFI, whose own chief executive also attended the meeting.
Farid stressed the importance of taking Egyptian-Omani relations to a more integrated stage based on investment and industrial partnerships, according to Daily News Egypt. He said the two sides aimed to strengthen cooperation in economic and free zones, jointly promote investment opportunities and open new markets for Egyptian companies, and that the approach aligned with the ministry's strategy to support Egyptian companies' expansion into foreign markets and boost exports, Daily News Egypt reported.
Egyptian officials at the meeting included Mohamed Awad, chief executive of GAFI, Walid Anwar, the authority's deputy chief executive, and Mohamed Ayad, assistant minister of investment and foreign trade, according to Daily News Egypt. Oman's ambassador to Egypt, Abdullah bin Nasser Al Rahbi, attended alongside the OPAZ delegation, giving the talks a diplomatic as well as an investment-focused character.
The route: manufacturing in Oman, selling into Asia and East Africa
Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef presented Oman's experience developing its special economic and free zones and stressed the importance of integration, and of leveraging Omani ports as platforms for Egyptian companies seeking to expand into East African and Asian markets, Daily News Egypt reported. That framing extends the plan beyond Asia alone: under the proposal, Oman's port network would also give Egyptian exporters a route into East Africa, a market the initial description of the meeting had not mentioned.
The underlying logic, as both outlets described it, runs in two directions. Egyptian manufacturers would gain a base inside Oman's zones to finish products before shipping them onward, rather than exporting unfinished or semi-finished goods directly out of Egypt. Oman, in turn, would use Egypt's geographic position, industrial base and logistics capacity to reach markets that its own manufacturing sector does not easily serve on its own.
Farid stressed the importance of translating these proposals into a specific action plan covering target sectors and companies and implementation mechanisms, moving the discussion from exploring opportunities to establishing actual projects and partnerships, Daily News Egypt reported.
Neither Daily News Egypt nor Zawya reported how far along that action plan is, which companies might take part first, or when Egyptian manufacturers might be able to use the arrangement in practice. Both outlets described the meeting as a first step toward integration rather than the signing of an agreement, and neither cited a trade or investment figure attached to the proposal.
Sectors named for the plan
Officials from both sides discussed cooperation opportunities in seven priority sectors, according to Daily News Egypt:
- Pharmaceuticals
- Food industries
- Textiles
- Renewable energy
- Logistics
- Manufacturing
- Marble
The list spans manufacturing sectors where Egypt already has an established industrial base, among them textiles, food processing and marble, alongside logistics and renewable energy, areas where the two countries' zone authorities would need to build new joint arrangements rather than simply route existing production through them. Neither report named specific companies or set numerical targets for any of the seven sectors, and neither explained why those particular industries were chosen over others.
What both sides agreed
The two sides agreed to identify priority sectors, companies and opportunities, prepare an executive cooperation programme, activate joint promotion mechanisms and organise events bringing together both countries' business communities, Daily News Egypt reported. They also discussed organising a forum in Cairo to introduce the Egyptian business community to investment and expansion opportunities in Oman, a step that would put the process in front of Egyptian companies directly rather than leaving it as an intergovernmental discussion alone.
Oman's ambassador to Egypt, Abdullah bin Nasser Al Rahbi, stressed the importance of strengthening economic and investment relations between the two countries, according to Daily News Egypt, a comment that placed the free-zone proposal inside a broader diplomatic relationship rather than treating it as a standalone trade mechanism.
Neither Daily News Egypt nor Zawya reported a timetable or financial figures for the plan, and neither described a signed agreement. Officials on both sides characterised the 31 August meeting as an exploratory discussion aimed at turning general proposals into specific projects covering named sectors and companies, rather than the conclusion of a deal between the two governments. What comes next, on both accounts, is the work of identifying which companies and which projects the proposed integration will actually cover, and turning the executive cooperation programme both ministries described into a document either government has actually signed.