France’s AFD offers €50m for women’s projects in Egypt

The French Development Agency has significantly advanced Egypt’s women’s economic empowerment efforts by providing a €50 million credit line for the Small Projects Support Programmes.

This initiative, launched in partnership with the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA), has financed 20,526 projects, creating 47,616 job opportunities. CEO Basel Rahmi confirmed that thousands of female entrepreneurs have also benefited from the programme’s technical support services, aimed at enhancing their administrative and marketing capacities.

Rahmi’s comments came during a meeting with French Ambassador Eric Chevallier to discuss the progress of joint development initiatives. The meeting reviewed key projects, including the Urban Upgrading and Job Creation Programme in Cairo and Giza, funded by the European Union (EU) and administered by the French Development Agency. Rahmi emphasised the importance of the agency’s role in driving socio-economic development across Egypt.

Both agencies are preparing to present their accomplishments at the World Urban Forum (WUF) in November. They also plan to collaborate on further initiatives, including Egypt’s National Handicrafts Strategy, digital transformation projects, and the Heritage exhibition, scheduled for the end of the year.

Attribution: Egyptian Cabinet

Subediting: M. S. Salama