Written by: Badr Ahmed

Dr. Ahmed Rostom participated, Minister of Planning Economic development, in a high-level ministerial discussion session on ways to formulate effective policies in light of economic, geopolitical and climate challenges, as part of the activities of the Oxford Africa 2026 Conference in its sixteenth session at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, which is held under the slogan of consolidating Africa’s position: solid leadership in an era of turmoil, with the participation of an elite group of world leaders and policymakers. The session was attended by Mr. Sheku Ahmad Fantamadi Bangor, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Sierra Leone, and Mr. Alpha Bakar Barry, Minister of National Education, Literacy, Technical Education and Vocational Training of the Republic of Guinea.

Egypt calls for strengthening regional value chains to counter global supply disruptions

During the session, Dr. Ahmed Rostom emphasized that the success of economic policies hinges on the state's ability to implement them effectively through a comprehensive approach involving the entire government. He cited the digital platforms Egypt uses to monitor project implementation rates as an example. He also mentioned the partnership with the OECD to proactively identify technological development opportunities for increased productivity based on data and evidence.

The Minister of Planning and Economic Development emphasized that long-term visions, such as Egypt's Vision 2030, serve as the guiding compass for short-term disciplinary measures like subsidy reform and fiscal discipline. He noted that the sustainability of structural reforms requires protecting the most vulnerable groups through social protection programs. He added that formulating a clear national vision helps in understanding the objectives of economic reform policies.

In formulating adaptive policies, Rustam called on African countries to abandon absolute dependence on basic commodities, focus on export sectors and green energy while maintaining exchange rate flexibility to increase shock absorption capacity, and rely on regional value chains to counter global supply disruptions.

In his response regarding long-term financing, Dr. Ahmed Rostom pointed to Egypt’s success in issuing sovereign bonds, which were oversubscribed by more than 5 times, proving that diversifying the investor base reduces borrowing costs and encourages financial diversification and innovation.

The Minister of Planning also addressed the issue of the perception gap in emerging markets, where risk premiums rise due to global concerns unrelated to the reality of local economic conditions. He explained that Egypt is confronting this with full transparency, continuous data disclosure, and strong partnerships with relevant international institutions and organizations to enhance confidence in the Egyptian economy.

African infrastructure, the future of youth, and artificial intelligence

Regarding the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Minister of Planning and Economic Development stressed that agreements alone are not enough without interconnected infrastructure, including roads, ports, and smart transport systems, emphasizing that Egypt’s huge investments in this area represent the common African backbone.

Dr. Ahmed Rostom, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, affirmed Egypt's aspiration to further enhance cooperation among African countries during its hosting of the African Union's mid-year coordination summit in New Alamein City in June 2026. He pointed out that coordinating positions among the continent's countries and strengthening economic cooperation is of increasing importance at the present time, especially in light of the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East region, which cast a shadow on the global and African economy, thus requiring the countries of the continent to accelerate the pace of cooperation in a way that serves the interests of the peoples of the continent.