Prime Minister Narendra Modi met thought leaders in Egypt as a part of his two-day visit to the Arab nation on Saturday.

PM Modi had a productive discussion with Hassan Allam, CEO of one of the largest Egyptian companies operating in the Middle East and North African region. The two leaders discussed possibilities of forging closer cooperation with Indian companies in renewable energy and green hydrogen.

Taking to Twitter, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi wrote, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Mohamed Medhat Hassan Allam, CEO of Hassan Allam Properties in Cairo, Egypt. PM @narendramodi held a fruitful meeting with Hassan Allam, CEO of Hassan Allam Holding Company, one of the largest Egyptian companies operating in the Middle East & North African region.”

Speaking to ANI, Hassan Allam said that he found the meeting with PM Modi “informative, educational and inspiring.”

“I found the meeting with him to be informative, educational and inspiring. As a private sector company, we have a lot to learn from India’s private sector. Under the leadership of PM Modi, India’s private sector grew tremendously in the world of infrastructure, engineering and manufacturing. I had the privilege of meeting with PM Modi where he gave me a lot of valuable insights and advice,” he said.

PM Modi also met the renowned author and petroleum strategist Tarek Heggy in Cairo and discussed issues related to global geopolitics, and energy security.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Egyptian author and political thinker Tarek Heggy in Cairo, Egypt. An engaging conversation between PM @narendramodi and renowned author & petroleum strategist @heggy_tarek,” MEA spokesperson Bagchi tweeted.

“Discussion covered issues related to global geopolitics, energy security, radicalism & gender equality,” Bagchi said.

PM Modi is visiting Egypt at the invitation of the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. In January 2023, he graced India’s Republic Day celebrations as the Chief Guest, and extended the invitation to the PM.

On his arrival in Cairo, the Prime Minister was received by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and was accorded a ceremonial welcome.

The visit, the first by any Indian PM since 1997, is of significance as Egypt has traditionally been one of India’s most important trading partners in the African continent. India-Egypt Bilateral Trade Agreement has been in operation since March 1978 and is based on the Most Favored Nation clause, according to the Egyptian Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

India was Egypt’s fifth largest trading partner in the period April 2022-Dec 2022. It was the 11th-largest importer of Egyptian goods and the 5th-largest exporter to Egypt during the same time.

The two countries share a close political understanding based on a long history of contact and cooperation in bilateral, regional and global issues