AHK Logistics Exclusive Conference: Egypt: The Gateway to Global Trade

Under the theme “Egypt – The Gateway to Global Trade | Connecting Continents Through Innovation,” and in a step that reflects its pivotal role in supporting the digital transformation of cross-border trade, the company participated as a Platinum Sponsor in the expanded conference organized by the German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce, chaired by Eng. Ahmed Elsewedy and Ms. Marine Dialle. The event was attended by several high-level officials, including Mr. Ahmed Kouchouk, Minister of Finance; Lt. Gen. Kamel El-Wazir, Minister of Transport; and Mr. Ahmed Amawy, Head of the Egyptian Customs Authority, alongside a distinguished group of industry and investment leaders to discuss mechanisms for strengthening Egypt’s position as a regional and global trade hub.

The event brought together more than 220 participants from chamber members, major institutions, and companies. Representing the company were Eng. Gamal Kotb, General Manager; Eng. Khaled Nassef, Official Spokesman and Media Advisor; Eng. Osama Qaddal, General Manager for Technical Affairs; Dr. Ahmed El-Shahat, Business Intelligence Director; Mr. Ashraf Ibrahim, Operations Director ; Dr. Mohsen Amin and Dr. Samir El-Gamal, Advisors to the Chairman; Eng. Khalifa Hassan, Chief Product Officer; and Menna Elbana, Marketing and Public Relations Specilaist.

MTS’s sponsorship of the event comes as part of its strategy to strengthen cooperation with German and international investors and partners, while showcasing the role of its advanced digital solutions in supporting the foreign trade ecosystem through reducing customs clearance time, lowering operational costs, and enhancing supply chain efficiency. This aligns with the Egyptian state’s direction toward facilitating trade movement and improving the business environment.

During his speech, Mr. Ahmed Kouchouk, Minister of Finance, affirmed that the Ministry, in cooperation with the Egyptian Customs Authority, has launched a package of exceptional customs facilitations aimed at easing cross-border trade and simplifying transit shipment procedures through ports without requiring (ACI). These measures are intended to enhance the competitiveness of Egyptian ports and accelerate international trade movement. He also highlighted the adoption of smart risk management and the provision of a digital infrastructure that enables the implementation of international risk management standards, ensuring faster customs clearance while maintaining the highest standards of security and governance.

The event featured several specialized panels discussions, most notably the “International Financing Institutions” Fireside chat, moderated by Abir Leheta, CEO of Egytrans, which explored areas of cooperation between the European Union and the International Finance Corporation in supporting trade movement, with the participation of Nikolaos Zaimis (EU) and Saad Sabra (IFC).

First Panel, titled “Challenges of the Logistics Sector,” witnessed broad participation from representatives of government entities and the private sector. It was moderated by Marwan El-Shazly, Vice Chairman of Pan Marine, and included Mr. Ahmed Aamwy, Head of the Egyptian Customs Authority; Major General Essam El-Naggar, Chairman of the General Organization for Export and Import Control; Mr. Walid Gamal El-Din, Chairman of the Suez Canal Economic Zone; and Rear Admiral Dr. Rafik Galal, Managing Director and CEO of Damietta Container & Cargo Handling Company.

Second Panel, titled “The New Era of Logistics Digitalization,” was moderated by Dr. Ahmed El-Beltagy and featured Eng. Gamal Kotb, General Manager of MTS; Viran Ortinsky, Vice President of CargoX, via video conference; Osama Ibrahim, Regional Director of DHL Express Egypt; and Mohamed El-Negily, IT and Digital Transformation Expert at Elsewedy Electric.

During the session, Eng. Gamal Kotb reaffirmed the company’s commitment to continuously developing “Nafeza” platform and the digital systems supporting ports and logistics hubs, ensuring the sustainability of Egypt’s ongoing technological transformation and strengthening its position as a leading regional logistics hub. He also pointed out that the time gap between modern digital systems and outdated traditional infrastructure represents one of the current major challenges, emphasizing that addressing data fragmentation requires unified digital standards across all stakeholders and the provision of simplified technological solutions that accelerate and facilitate customs clearance procedures.

He further added that the future of logistics digitalization is not limited to port development alone, but rather requires comprehensive integration across supply chains, including Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), which the Ministry of Transport is currently implementing in cooperation with Elsewedy Electric. He concluded by stressing the importance of moving toward concrete executive measures that deliver tangible results on the ground, rather than relying solely on broad visions and aspirations.