Dar es Salaam. Tanzania and Egypt have agreed to expand cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, infrastructure, health, education and science following bilateral talks between President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her Egyptian counterpart, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, in Dar es Salaam.
Speaking after official talks at State House on Saturday, July 18, 2026 President Samia said President El-Sisi’s State visit marked a new chapter in economic relations between the two countries.
She noted that the Egyptian leader had travelled with a delegation of business executives and investors to explore new opportunities for commercial partnerships.
President Samia said the visit built on the long-standing diplomatic relationship between the two nations.
She recalled that President El-Sisi previously visited Tanzania in 2017, while she travelled to Egypt in 2021.
The two leaders agreed to continue exchanging high-level visits to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
She said relations between Tanzania and Egypt predated the colonial era through trade links along the East African coast and were later reinforced during Africa’s liberation struggles.
The partnership was further institutionalised through the Joint Commission for Cooperation, established in 1989.
President Samia thanked Egypt for supporting Tanzania’s development through scholarships and professional training.
She also commended the contribution of Egyptian medical specialists who, working alongside Tanzanian doctors, have carried out more than 420 heart surgeries over the past decade.
She cited the Sh7.4 trillion Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project, constructed by two Egyptian companies using domestic financing, as a symbol of successful African cooperation.
“The project demonstrates that African countries can deliver major strategic projects using their own capabilities without relying on partners from outside the continent,” she said.
On trade and investment, President Samia said both governments acknowledged that bilateral trade remained below its potential despite abundant opportunities.
She said Egypt ranked eighth among Tanzania’s top 10 foreign investors, with 61 registered projects worth about $1.5 billion, creating more than 4,000 jobs in sectors including energy, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, tourism and services.
She added that 35 Egyptian business leaders accompanying President El-Sisi were participating in a Tanzania-Egypt Business Forum aimed at expanding trade and investment through opportunities created by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Agriculture also featured prominently during the discussions.
President Samia said Africa continued to spend between $70 million and $100 million annually importing food products such as wheat, maize, rice, edible oil, sugar, meat and dairy products, underlining the need to boost domestic food production.
She said Tanzania had 29 million hectares suitable for irrigation and was Africa’s second-largest livestock producer, while Egypt possessed advanced irrigation technologies developed through its experience along the River Nile.
The two countries agreed to cooperate in irrigation technology, crop production and livestock development, including investments in Ruvu Ranch and agricultural land managed by the National Service (JKT), the Prisons Service, the National Ranching Company (NARCO) and Zanzibar authorities.
The leaders also agreed to strengthen cooperation in transport infrastructure covering aviation, rail and maritime services.
President Samia said Egypt would participate in the development of Bagamoyo Port and support plans to connect the port to the Standard Gauge Railway at Kwala, where a dedicated logistics hub would be established for Egyptian traders and containers.
She said EgyptAir would continue operating three weekly flights between Egypt and Tanzania, while Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) was preparing to launch its own services to Egypt.
The two governments are also discussing maritime transport links connecting the ports of Dar es Salaam, Bagamoyo and Safaga to facilitate trade between the two countries and markets across Southern Africa.
In health and education, President Samia said Egypt had expressed readiness to construct a modern hospital in Tanzania and continue cooperation in specialist medical training and treatment for heart, kidney and cancer diseases.
She also requested greater Egyptian support in science and technology, including scholarships in artificial intelligence, cyber security and information technology through the Samia Extended Scholarship Programme. President El-Sisi accepted the proposal.
The two leaders further agreed to continue working together on the sustainable management of shared water resources, including ensuring that the utilisation of Lake Victoria’s waters does not disrupt flows into the River Nile.
