Samar El-Sayed_ Dr. Ahmed Rostom, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, participated in a panel discussion entitled «Foreign Exchange Resources and Debt Management», as part of the economic track events on the fourth day of the Egypt 2026 Forum.
The session addressed regulating the borrowing trajectory, diversifying financing sources, and enhancing the Egyptian economy's capacity to develop its own resources sustainably.
The session witnessed the participation of Hassan Abdalla, Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt, the Ministers of Finance, Civil Aviation, Investment and Foreign Trade, and Tourism and Antiquities, the Advisor to the President of the Republic for Economic Affairs, and the Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, alongside an elite group of bank heads, members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and economic experts. The session was moderated by media figure Dina Salem.
During the session, Dr. Ahmed Rostom reviewed the general framework for external debt management, emphasizing the importance of handling this file from an integrated perspective that is not limited to the volume of debt alone, but extends to its structure and servicing burdens, in a manner that supports the sustainability of the financing trajectory.
He stressed that the state deals with external borrowing requests with utmost precision and strict controls, in light of presidential directives to study them, review their respective studies, and ensure repayment capacity prior to their approval. He pointed out that the objective is to place external debt on a gradual downward trajectory, such that the value of repayments exceeds the volume of new borrowing.
Ahmed Rostom noted the pivotal role of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, in its capacity as the head of the Technical Secretariat for the External Debt Management Committee, in borrowing governance. The committee undertakes the institutional study of financing requests to ensure their alignment with state priorities, and evaluates available alternatives to select the most appropriate in terms of cost and terms.
3 international agencies grant Egypt positive credit rating assessments
Rostom pointed out the stability of Egypt's sovereign rating and its receipt of positive assessments from three international credit rating agencies, reflecting the state's efforts in improving the management of external obligations.
Ahmed Rostom: Supporting industry, tourism, and communications to enhance the resources of the Egyptian economy
He explained that the debt sustainability trajectory is linked to the economy's capacity to develop its resources, emphasizing the necessity of supporting real economy sectors, such as industry, tourism, and communications and information technology.
He added that enhancing local production and deepening value chains directly contribute to import substitution, reducing future financing requirements, and achieving a strategic balance between the service and productive economies.
New financing mechanisms for infrastructure projects to alleviate pressure on foreign currency
The Minister of Planning and Economic Development concluded his intervention by revealing the state's orientation toward studying innovative financing mechanisms in cooperation with international institutions, particularly in infrastructure projects, to reduce pressure on foreign currency.
In this regard, he pointed to the «Infrastructure Project Financing Guarantee Mechanism», alongside policies to rationalize government spending in dollars and maximize the utilization of existing infrastructure.
