The Central Bank of Egypt used a joint press conference with African Export-Import Bank President George Elombi to outline preparations for Egypt’s hosting of Afreximbank’s 33rd annual meetings in El Alamein from 21 to 24 June 2026. The briefing covered the expected scale of participation and presented the meetings as a platform for policy and business discussions on trade finance, regional integration, industrialisation and wider African economic cooperation, including reform of the global financial system to better reflect emerging economy needs. The conference also highlighted the Egypt-Afreximbank partnership and the bank’s financing in Egypt. Elombi said Afreximbank had provided about USD 9.5 billion to Egypt over the past three years, with support spanning financial services, trade, industrial infrastructure, manufacturing, oil and gas, telecommunications, electricity and construction. He also pointed to the bank’s USD 250 million Africa Trade Centre in the New Administrative Capital, whose foundation stone was laid in December 2025, as a project intended to strengthen trade facilitation, payments, logistics and support for small and medium-sized enterprises, and referenced a proposed African Gold Bank to formalise African gold value chains and support central bank reserves. The annual meetings are expected to bring together leaders, ministers, central bank governors, academics, entrepreneurs, private investors and development partners. The programme is set to include high-level policy sessions, business and investment forums, agreement-signing ceremonies, bilateral meetings and specialised discussions on intra-African trade, the African Continental Free Trade Area, trade finance, industrialisation, energy, infrastructure and digital transformation.