Doorknock Delegation to Washington D.C. (April 1st-April 5th, 2019)

The Egypt-U.S. Business Council leadership took part in the Annual AmCham Doorknock Mission to Washington D.C. which took place during the period from April 1-5, 2019.

A delegation of 35 top-level executives representing U.S. Companies and businesses that operate in Egypt visited Washington, D.C. during the period from April 1st to April 5th for the AmCham Egypt Annual Doorknock Mission.  The visit came just a few days prior to President El Sisi’s visit to Washington DC and his scheduled meeting with President Trump at the White House, and also on the margin of the 40th year anniversary marking the inauguration of the U.S. Egypt Business Council.  It also came at a time when the US political environment is more divisive than at any other time since the 1960s.

Over the course of five days, delegates took part in 89 meetings with members of the U.S. Congress, Administration officials, think-tanks, media and leaders from the U.S. business community. These included: 50 meetings with Members of Congress and their staffers (House and Senate), nine meetings with the Executive Branch, including meetings with senior officials at the Departments of State, Commerce, Treasury, Energy, the National Security Council (NSC), Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im), Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), and the Agency for International Development (USAID).The delegation also had more than 25 meetings with senior representatives at many of Washington’s prominent Think-Tanks and Multinational Financial Institutions, including: the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP), Egyptian American Enterprise Fund, Woodrow Wilson Center, Albright Stonebridge Group, the Center for American Progress, AIPAC, the Council on Foreign Relations, Middle East Institute, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Atlantic Council, Congressional Research Service (CRS), Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, American Jewish Committee, Aspen Institute.

The delegation stressed the importance of maintaining a strong and robust bilateral relationship; given Egypt’s strategic role as an influential regional power.  They highlighted the country’s pivotal efforts towards maintaining security and stability in the Middle East; with the Camp David Accords entering its fifth decade this year.  Additionally, delegates’ relayed Egypt’s soft power, as well as its aspiration for increased participation in the global economy; welcoming greater trade with the US and increased investment by its private sector.  Dialogue was conducted between both sides with the ultimate goal of building a deeper U.S.-Egypt business relationship, opening new opportunities for American firms, creating jobs and improving the lives of citizens of both countries.

A Special Roundtable discussion was hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce’s US-Egypt Business Council in honor of the visiting Delegation on April 3rd, featuring the Director, Office of Egyptian Affairs, Bureau of Near East Affairs, the Department of State, David Greene, and the Director for Egypt and Jordan at the National Security Council (NSC), Anne Womer.   Additionally on the same day, AmCham Egypt Inc. hosted a Special Reception in honor of the visiting Delegation.  The reception which took place at the University Club, was attended by almost 150 guests, including executive branch officials, senior representatives from think tanks, Egyptian Embassy officials and different stakeholders and friends of AmCham in Washington D.C.

AmCham delegates were also hosted on April 5th as speakers on a special panel organized by the Middle East Institute, addressing “Egypt’s Evolving Economic Outlook”, where they shared their perspective on recent reform measures which have jumpstarted the economy, the potential of Egypt’s market, the growing entrepreneurship ecosystem, as well as challenges facing the private sector.  The event was attended by more than 120 individuals and observers of the bilateral relationship.

A special dinner was hosted in honor of the AmCham delegation on April 1st by Egypt’s Ambassador to the United States, Yasser Reda.  His hospitality and generosity were much appreciated.  Additionally, the delegation took part in a roundtable discussion at the US-Egypt Enterprise Fund and a panel discussion for faculty and students at the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University.

Special Mission to Washington D.C. and New York (September 21-27, 2019)

Egypt-U.S. Business Council Leadership, together with Members of the AmCham Egypt Board visited New York and Washington D.C. from September 21-27 for a “Mini Door-knock Mission,” organized on the sidelines of Egyptian Pres-ident Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s official visit to the United States for the annual United Nations General Assembly. Over the course of the week, delegates took part in over 20 meetings with members of Congress, administration officials, think-tanks, media and leaders from the U.S. business community.

The mission kicked off in New York, where delegates met with Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, the World Bank’s senior vice president for the 2030 Development Agenda, United Nations Relations, and Partnerships. On September 22, the U.S. Chamber of Com-merce and AmCham Egypt Inc. hosted the Annual CEO Round-table in honor of the Egyptian president at the New York Palace.

In Washington, D.C., delegates met with several prominent think-tanks, the Prosper Africa Initiative Interim Coordinator Matthew D. Rees, as well as with key officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the National Security Council, the White House and the Department of Commerce.

President Sisi Special Roundtable on the margins of the Presidential Visit (September 22, 2019)

September 22, AmCham Egypt Inc. in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Egypt Business Council (USEBC) and the Egypt-U.S. Business Council (EUSBC), hosted Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi for a roundtable dinner at the New York Palace. Organized on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, this dinner brought to-gether 30 executives from the USEBC member companies with the Egyptian delegation for a discussion about the bilateral economic relationship.

El Sisi expressed his strong support for American companies doing business in Egypt, highlighted its solid growth following a successful economic reform program, and ex-plained how Egypt will continue to reform in the future. The president acknowledged the vital role of U.S. business in sustaining this progress and expressed a strong desire to continue candid di-alogue between the U.S. and Egypt with the aim of removing obstacles and encouraging invest-ment. El Sisi recognized the work of the U.S. Chamber and the USEBC in facilitating this suc-cessful dialogue.

The Egyptian delegation included Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry; Moustafa Sherif, chief of the Presidential Cabinet; Minister of In-vestment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr; Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources Tarek El-Molla; Minister of Health and Population Hala Zayed; Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Waly; Minister of Environment Yasmin Fouad; Maj. Gen. Abbas Moustafa Kamel, chief of General Intelligence; Mohsen Abdel Naby, director of the Of-fice of the President of the Republic; Amb. Yasser Reda, Am-bassador of Egypt to the United States; Amb. Mohamed Edrees, permanent representative of Egypt to the UN; Amb. Bassam Rady, spokesperson of the Egyptian Presidency; and Dr. Hisham El Nakib, Consul General of Egypt in New York.

Special Dinner with Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly in Washington D.C.
(October 16, 2019)

On October 16, AmCham Egypt Inc. and AmCham Egypt, in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Egypt Business Council (USEBC), and in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Council’s founding, host a special dinner event featuring Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Egypt’s Prime Minister.

Madbouly was joined by a high-level delegation that in-cluded Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr; Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait; Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources Tarek El-Molla; Minister of Trade and Industry Amr Nassar; Minister of Communica-tions and Information Technology Amr Talaat; Tarek Amer, Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt; and Yasser Reda, Ambassador of Egypt to the United States.

The event commenced with welcoming remarks by the U.S. Chamber’s Senior Vice President for Middle East and Turkey Affairs Khush Choksy and AmCham Egypt Inc.’s CEO Hisham Fahmy. Fahmy lauded the prime minister for his sup-port of AmCham Egypt over the years and commended him on successfully navigating difficult economic reforms.

During his remarks, Madbouly highlighted the vital importance of strong and comprehensive partnerships between Egypt and the American business community and encouraged the growing activity of American companies on the ground in Egypt. During a Q&A session moderated by USEBC’s exec-utive director Steve Lutes, Talaat discussed the encouraging progress being made to fully digitize Egypt’s government processes, as well as the development of the New Adminis-trative Capital, Egypt’s first smart city.

EUSBC also participated in the below AmCham Egypt meetings and activities in 2019:

• Meeting with Mr. Graeme Bannerman, (February 2019)
• Meeting National War College Delegation (April 2019)
• Meeting with World Bank Senior Delegation (May 2019)
• Meeting with USAID Officials (May 2019)
• Meeting with Delegation representing the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) (June 2019)
• U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) (June 2019)
• Meeting with Delegation representing the Senate Armed Services Committee (July 2019)
• Meeting with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (July 2019)
• Meeting with JSC Taskforce (July 2019)
• Meeting with representative from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) (August 2019)
• Meeting with U.S. Grains Council (August 2019)
• Squire Patton Boggs (October 2019)
• U.S. Department of the Treasury (October 2019)
• Meeting with the Honorable Dan Kurtzer and The Honorable Frank Wisner, Former U.S. Ambassadors to Egypt (December 2019)
• Meeting Delegation of Visiting Congressional Staffers (December 2019)

Doorknock Delegation to Washington D.C. (April 1st-April 5th, 2019)

The Egypt-U.S. Business Council leadership took part in the Annual AmCham Doorknock Mission to Washington D.C. which took place during the period from April 1-5, 2019.

A delegation of 35 top-level executives representing U.S. Companies and businesses that operate in Egypt visited Washington, D.C. during the period from April 1st to April 5th for the AmCham Egypt Annual Doorknock Mission.  The visit came just a few days prior to President El Sisi’s visit to Washington DC and his scheduled meeting with President Trump at the White House, and also on the margin of the 40th year anniversary marking the inauguration of the U.S. Egypt Business Council.  It also came at a time when the US political environment is more divisive than at any other time since the 1960s.

Over the course of five days, delegates took part in 89 meetings with members of the U.S. Congress, Administration officials, think-tanks, media and leaders from the U.S. business community. These included: 50 meetings with Members of Congress and their staffers (House and Senate), nine meetings with the Executive Branch, including meetings with senior officials at the Departments of State, Commerce, Treasury, Energy, the National Security Council (NSC), Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im), Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), and the Agency for International Development (USAID).The delegation also had more than 25 meetings with senior representatives at many of Washington’s prominent Think-Tanks and Multinational Financial Institutions, including: the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP), Egyptian American Enterprise Fund, Woodrow Wilson Center, Albright Stonebridge Group, the Center for American Progress, AIPAC, the Council on Foreign Relations, Middle East Institute, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Atlantic Council, Congressional Research Service (CRS), Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, American Jewish Committee, Aspen Institute.

The delegation stressed the importance of maintaining a strong and robust bilateral relationship; given Egypt’s strategic role as an influential regional power.  They highlighted the country’s pivotal efforts towards maintaining security and stability in the Middle East; with the Camp David Accords entering its fifth decade this year.  Additionally, delegates’ relayed Egypt’s soft power, as well as its aspiration for increased participation in the global economy; welcoming greater trade with the US and increased investment by its private sector.  Dialogue was conducted between both sides with the ultimate goal of building a deeper U.S.-Egypt business relationship, opening new opportunities for American firms, creating jobs and improving the lives of citizens of both countries.

A Special Roundtable discussion was hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce’s US-Egypt Business Council in honor of the visiting Delegation on April 3rd, featuring the Director, Office of Egyptian Affairs, Bureau of Near East Affairs, the Department of State, David Greene, and the Director for Egypt and Jordan at the National Security Council (NSC), Anne Womer.   Additionally on the same day, AmCham Egypt Inc. hosted a Special Reception in honor of the visiting Delegation.  The reception which took place at the University Club, was attended by almost 150 guests, including executive branch officials, senior representatives from think tanks, Egyptian Embassy officials and different stakeholders and friends of AmCham in Washington D.C.

AmCham delegates were also hosted on April 5th as speakers on a special panel organized by the Middle East Institute, addressing “Egypt’s Evolving Economic Outlook”, where they shared their perspective on recent reform measures which have jumpstarted the economy, the potential of Egypt’s market, the growing entrepreneurship ecosystem, as well as challenges facing the private sector.  The event was attended by more than 120 individuals and observers of the bilateral relationship.

A special dinner was hosted in honor of the AmCham delegation on April 1st by Egypt’s Ambassador to the United States, Yasser Reda.  His hospitality and generosity were much appreciated.  Additionally, the delegation took part in a roundtable discussion at the US-Egypt Enterprise Fund and a panel discussion for faculty and students at the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University.

Special Mission to Washington D.C. and New York (September 21-27, 2019)

Egypt-U.S. Business Council Leadership, together with Members of the AmCham Egypt Board visited New York and Washington D.C. from September 21-27 for a “Mini Door-knock Mission,” organized on the sidelines of Egyptian Pres-ident Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s official visit to the United States for the annual United Nations General Assembly. Over the course of the week, delegates took part in over 20 meetings with members of Congress, administration officials, think-tanks, media and leaders from the U.S. business community.

The mission kicked off in New York, where delegates met with Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, the World Bank’s senior vice president for the 2030 Development Agenda, United Nations Relations, and Partnerships. On September 22, the U.S. Chamber of Com-merce and AmCham Egypt Inc. hosted the Annual CEO Round-table in honor of the Egyptian president at the New York Palace.

In Washington, D.C., delegates met with several prominent think-tanks, the Prosper Africa Initiative Interim Coordinator Matthew D. Rees, as well as with key officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the National Security Council, the White House and the Department of Commerce.

President Sisi Special Roundtable on the margins of the Presidential Visit (September 22, 2019)

September 22, AmCham Egypt Inc. in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Egypt Business Council (USEBC) and the Egypt-U.S. Business Council (EUSBC), hosted Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi for a roundtable dinner at the New York Palace. Organized on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, this dinner brought to-gether 30 executives from the USEBC member companies with the Egyptian delegation for a discussion about the bilateral economic relationship.

El Sisi expressed his strong support for American companies doing business in Egypt, highlighted its solid growth following a successful economic reform program, and ex-plained how Egypt will continue to reform in the future. The president acknowledged the vital role of U.S. business in sustaining this progress and expressed a strong desire to continue candid di-alogue between the U.S. and Egypt with the aim of removing obstacles and encouraging invest-ment. El Sisi recognized the work of the U.S. Chamber and the USEBC in facilitating this suc-cessful dialogue.

The Egyptian delegation included Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry; Moustafa Sherif, chief of the Presidential Cabinet; Minister of In-vestment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr; Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources Tarek El-Molla; Minister of Health and Population Hala Zayed; Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Waly; Minister of Environment Yasmin Fouad; Maj. Gen. Abbas Moustafa Kamel, chief of General Intelligence; Mohsen Abdel Naby, director of the Of-fice of the President of the Republic; Amb. Yasser Reda, Am-bassador of Egypt to the United States; Amb. Mohamed Edrees, permanent representative of Egypt to the UN; Amb. Bassam Rady, spokesperson of the Egyptian Presidency; and Dr. Hisham El Nakib, Consul General of Egypt in New York.

Special Dinner with Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly in Washington D.C.
(October 16, 2019)

On October 16, AmCham Egypt Inc. and AmCham Egypt, in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Egypt Business Council (USEBC), and in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Council’s founding, host a special dinner event featuring Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Egypt’s Prime Minister.

Madbouly was joined by a high-level delegation that in-cluded Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr; Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait; Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources Tarek El-Molla; Minister of Trade and Industry Amr Nassar; Minister of Communica-tions and Information Technology Amr Talaat; Tarek Amer, Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt; and Yasser Reda, Ambassador of Egypt to the United States.
The event commenced with welcoming remarks by the U.S. Chamber’s Senior Vice President for Middle East and Turkey Affairs Khush Choksy and AmCham Egypt Inc.’s CEO Hisham Fahmy. Fahmy lauded the prime minister for his sup-port of AmCham Egypt over the years and commended him on successfully navigating difficult economic reforms.

During his remarks, Madbouly highlighted the vital importance of strong and comprehensive partnerships between Egypt and the American business community and encouraged the growing activity of American companies on the ground in Egypt. During a Q&A session moderated by USEBC’s exec-utive director Steve Lutes, Talaat discussed the encouraging progress being made to fully digitize Egypt’s government processes, as well as the development of the New Adminis-trative Capital, Egypt’s first smart city.

EUSBC also participated in the below AmCham Egypt meetings and activities in 2019:

• Meeting with Mr. Graeme Bannerman, (February 2019)
• Meeting National War College Delegation (April 2019)
• Meeting with World Bank Senior Delegation (May 2019)
• Meeting with USAID Officials (May 2019)
• Meeting with Delegation representing the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) (June 2019)
• U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) (June 2019)
• Meeting with Delegation representing the Senate Armed Services Committee (July 2019)
• Meeting with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (July 2019)
• Meeting with JSC Taskforce (July 2019)
• Meeting with representative from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) (August 2019)
• Meeting with U.S. Grains Council (August 2019)
• Squire Patton Boggs (October 2019)
• U.S. Department of the Treasury (October 2019)
• Meeting with the Honorable Dan Kurtzer and The Honorable Frank Wisner, Former U.S. Ambassadors to Egypt (December 2019)
• Meeting Delegation of Visiting Congressional Staffers (December 2019)