Central Bank of Egypt governor sets out emerging market risks and Africa financing priorities at G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting

The Central Bank of Egypt reported that Governor Hassan Abdalla participated in the second G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Washington, D.C. on 23–24 April 2025, held alongside the IMF and World Bank Group Spring Meetings. He highlighted pressures on emerging markets and called for stronger global policy coordination to mitigate the effects. Abdalla pointed to trade wars and supply chain disruptions, weaker foreign direct investment, higher exchange rate volatility, and slower global growth as key challenges. He also focused on development constraints in Africa, citing weak infrastructure, macroeconomic vulnerabilities, and a high cost of capital, and urged action to counter trade fragmentation by leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area and scaling up bankable projects to attract private capital. The remarks also included proposals to increase multilateral development institutions’ lending capacity through hybrid capital and Special Drawing Rights rechanneling, alongside de-risking tools such as guarantees and support for public-private partnerships. Egypt attended as an invited country for the third consecutive year and is participating in the 2025 G20 cycle chaired by South Africa from December 2024 to November 2025.