Egypt Expands D-8 Vision with $500bn Trade Goal

Egypt’s government has unveiled a fresh push to elevate the economic ambitions of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, committing to drive intra-bloc trade to $500 billion by 2030. At the 2025 ministerial meeting in Cairo, Hassan El-Khatib, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, said the bloc must intensify cooperation across trade, investment, infrastructure and technology to achieve that figure. He noted that intra-D-8 trade stood at roughly $150 billion in 2024, a substantial increase from past years, but well short of the group’s potential. El-Khatib outlined priorities under Egypt’s chairmanship: deeper trade integration, enhanced investment inflows, support for small and medium enterprises, sustainable development, capacity-building and a push for innovation and technological cooperation.

The decision follows ratification of the Cairo Declaration by the trade ministers, which mandates a more ambitious trade agenda for all member states. The ministers approved terms of reference for negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, aiming to broaden and deepen economic ties under the group’s Preferential Trade Agreement. El-Khatib said the CEPA would help simplify trade flows and foster investment across industries, manufacturing, agriculture, technology and logistics.

Leaders of the D-8, representing countries from Africa to Asia, have long identified the group’s combined demographics—over 1.2 billion people—and shared heritage as an opportunity to build a robust economic corridor across continents. The Secretariat, headed by Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam, has highlighted growth of intra-bloc trade from roughly $14 billion in 1997 to over $145 billion in 2023. Even so, officials acknowledge the volume falls short of the bloc’s collective economic potential given its population scale and resources.

To bridge that gap, Egypt is placing infrastructure and institutional strengthening at the centre of its 2025 agenda. The government plans greater investment in logistics networks, special economic zones and transport corridors to support efficient movement of goods and services. It also intends to empower youth and small and medium enterprises by improving access to finance, building capacity, and facilitating innovation-driven projects. Ministers emphasised that unlocking D-8 trade potential is not solely about tariffs but building a stable ecosystem for long-term private-sector investment and cross-border value chains.

Economic analysts regard the move as ambitious yet grounded. They point out that achieving $500 billion will require substantial policy alignment across diverse nations—ranging from textile and agriculture exporters to industrialised manufacturing hubs. Challenges remain around tariff harmonisation, non-tariff barriers, regulatory transparency and building supply-chain resilience. Nevertheless, proponents argue that the expanded focus on technology, infrastructure and SMEs could offset structural disparities among member states.

Significant private-sector interest is already visible. Business forums and delegation visits slated for 2026 are expected to match investors with project pipelines in agriculture, renewable energy, manufacturing and ICT. Officials assert these efforts signal a shift from political solidarity toward tangible economic cooperation, aimed at harnessing the group’s scale for trade diversification and sustainable growth.