“Japan has a strong reputation in Egypt as a country which delivers trusted products and services. Following top-level government visits, Egypt and Japan share a strong affinity for one another today. JICA has made important contributions to Egypt over the years and we will continue to work closely with the Egyptian government to strengthen our ties. Technology and knowledge-transfer is becoming increasingly important as we strengthen our bilateral ties. Through our Official Development Assistance efforts, the Egyptian economy is moving in the right direction and the country is becoming more attractive to foreign investors as a place to do business.”
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is a Japanese governmental Official Development Assistance (ODA) agency that has been supporting the development efforts of Egypt since 1970s through grant aid and yen loans to construct vital infrastructure.
Egypt and Japan have enjoyed friendly relations since Japan’s recognition of the independence of Egypt in 1922. Relations between both countries continued to grow and develop and today include cultural, scientific, educational and social areas.
Egypt is a great nation in a geopolitically important position linking the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Given this, strengthening Egypt’s stability and development as well as its constructive role in the region is important for regional peace and stability.
Moreover, with a large, young population, Egypt’s labour force and domestic market are attractive for Japanese businesses. Approximately fifty Japanese companies have expanded operations to Egypt.
In terms of recent diplomatic relations between both countries, following the Japanese Prime Minister’s visit to Egypt in January 2015 and President El Sisi’s visit to Tokyo in 2016, both leaders announced the ‘Japan-Egypt Joint Statement’. This is a leap towards a new stage in bilateral relations especially in the electricity, education and health fields.
In 2018, JICA President, Mr. Shinichi Kitaoka, paid a visit to Egypt where he held meetings with President El Sisi and high-ranking officials. He also visited JICA’s project sites including the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) and signed an ODA loan agreement for the Egypt-Japan School Support Program.
“Egypt’s tourism sector will greatly benefit from the contributions JICA is making to the country’s capital. Current projects include the expansion of the Cairo metro system and the construction of the new Grand Egyptian Museum.”
In light of the country’s political importance, Egypt’s economic growth and potential for Japanese companies is of great significance for JICA as we assist in the development of Egypt.
JICA has three priority areas in Egypt:
Inclusive and Sustainable Growth:
Electricity
Transportation
Private Sector
Tourism and Cultural Heritage
Poverty Reduction and Enhancement of Standard of Living:
Irrigation and Rural Development
Basic Social Services
Human Resource Development/Public Sector Reform:
Education
Public Sector Empowerment
South-South Cooperation
In total, JICA has provided around $ 1.5 billion in grant aid to Egypt and financed 42 projects with ODA loans (nearly $ 6.5 billion). Technical cooperation amounted around $800 million. The grant aids for the Cairo Opera House (in 1988) and also the Suez Canal Peace Bridge (2001) are symbolic examples of the long history of JICA’s cooperation in Egypt.
Additionally, JICA has been supporting Egypt with technical cooperation since the 1980s to develop human resources and the country’s social system. We dispatched more than 2.8 thousand Japanese experts to Egypt and accepted more than ten thousand trainees from Egypt to Japan. More than 290 Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) have worked in Egypt.
Currently, JICA is working on 11 ODA loan projects; including an Energy Control System Upgrading Project in Upper Egypt, the Gulf of El Zayt Wind Power Plant Project, Electricity Distribution System Improvement Project, an Electricity Sector Rehabilitation and Improvement Project, the Borg El Arab International Airport Modernization Project (II), the Greater Cairo Metro Line No. 4 Phase I Project, the Construction of New Dirout Group of Regulators (DGR), Improvement in the Water Distribution System, the Grand Egyptian Museum Construction Project, the Hurghada Photovoltaic Power Plant Construction Project, EJEP: Human Resource Development Project, and the EJEP: Egypt-Japan School Support Program. Two grant projects including the clean Energy by Solar Electricity Distribution System and the Cairo University Special Pediatric Hospital’s Outpatient Facility have also been supported by JICA.
“There is a long history of collaboration between Japan and Egypt in education, culture and infrastructure projects. JICA has been involved in numerous projects across Egypt over the years and we are proud to have contributed to the country’s development.”
