Eng. Sherif El Sherbini, Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, received a delegation from Saudi Arabia yesterday evening, including representatives from the Ministries of Municipalities, Housing, and Investment, as well as the Saudi Contractors Authority (SCA), Invest-Gate reports.

The discussion focused on areas of cooperation and exchange of expertise.

The meeting was attended by Eng. Mohamed Sami, Chairman of the Egyptian Federation of Construction and Building Contractors (EFCBC), several EFCBC members, and officials from the Ministry of Housing and the Saudi Embassy in Cairo.

El Sherbini expressed pride in the ongoing cooperation between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. He emphasized his commitment to expanding areas of cooperation between the two nations in all joint initiatives, including facilitating procedures for Egyptian companies to enter the Saudi market for real estate development and providing support to Saudi companies currently operating or wishing to invest in Egypt.

During the meeting, Eng. Mohamed Sami thanked El Sherbini for his support of Egyptian companies and for coordinating the establishment of new projects for them in Saudi Arabia. He noted that this support is unprecedented and will lead to significant interaction in the coming period.

He explained that the current visit from the Saudi delegation has resulted in facilitating work procedures for Egyptian contracting companies in the Saudi market, enhancing expansion opportunities for them in development projects available in the Kingdom.

The Saudi delegation affirmed their commitment to working within an integrated framework alongside the EFCBC, the Saudi Ministry of Investment, the Saudi Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, and the Saudi Contractors Authority, reflecting the depth of bilateral relations between the two countries.

They also emphasized that Saudi Arabia welcomes the entry of Egyptian investors and companies into the Saudi market, noting that several Egyptian companies are already involved in major projects in the Kingdom. They expressed a desire to increase the number of Egyptian companies, given their extensive experience in construction.

During the meeting, EFCBC members proposed a joint working mechanism to integrate Egyptian and Saudi companies for expanding operations into other markets. They explained that all Egyptian investments in Saudi Arabia have achieved great success, and that this integration builds on that success.

At the end of the meeting, El Sherbini praised the proposal to establish alliances between Egyptian and Saudi companies and to engage in large projects in new markets, citing the partnership protocol signed between Arab Contractors and China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) as a model that could be applied between companies in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

El Sherbini also reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to providing various forms of support and removing any obstacles facing all investors, particularly Saudis. He highlighted the importance of exchanging expertise to foster mutual and constructive cooperation and emphasized the need for continued meetings and coordination between the two sides to develop a comprehensive plan for cooperation and to monitor progress toward achieving targets.