Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), H.E. Mr. Hassan Abdalla, and President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, Dr. George Elombi, held a joint press briefing at the CBE’s headquarters on Wednesday to address preparations for 33rd Afreximbank Annual Meetings (AAM2026). The AAM2026 will be held under the patronage of President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, in Alamein city from June 21 to 24, 2026.
Attended by over 100 local and international media representatives, both in person and virtually, the briefing provided updates on preparations for AAM2026, expected participation, and Egypt’s role as host country for one of Africa’s leading annual gatherings focused on advancing the continent’s economic transformation.
In his remarks, Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt, H.E. Mr. Hassan Abdalla, reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to the successful hosting of the AAM2026 and emphasised the country’s readiness to host the event as well as its long-standing partnership with Afreximbank to support Africa’s economic development, trade and investment.
Mr. Abdalla said: “Egypt is honoured to host the 33rd Afreximbank Annual Meetings in Alamein, reflecting our continued commitment to supporting Africa’s economic integration, trade expansion, and sustainable development.”
He also noted that these Meetings represent a high-level platform for dialogue and the exchange of views on the future of African economic and financial cooperation.
He added: “The Meetings extend beyond conventional discussions to advance key continental priorities, including trade finance, regional integration, and the pressing need to reform the global financial architecture to better reflect the development needs of emerging economies.”
President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, Dr. George Elombi, expressed his appreciation to H.E. Mr. Hassan Abdalla for his strong support and commitment to hosting AAM2026 in Alamein and for the efforts by all relevant institutions in coordinating these meetings in Egypt.
“Egypt and Afreximbank share a common vision to accelerate Africa’s economic development, industrialisation, and widespread economic prosperity across the continent.
“AAM2026 will provide a valuable opportunity to strengthen partnerships, unlock investment opportunities, and advance discussions on intra-African trade, Africa’s financial sovereignty, and its economic resilience in an increasingly complex global environment”.
Dr. Elombi added that “Through our Annual Meetings, Afreximbank aims to identify priority projects and actionable programmes that will accelerate the transformation of Africa’s trade infrastructure. Africa’s pace of growth will be driven by industrialisation and intra-African trade, and achieving this will require significant improvements in processing, logistics, and importantly, policy support from governments.”
The briefing underscored the strong strategic partnership between Egypt and Afreximbank, while highlighting the Bank’s support for key sectors, including financial services, trade, industrial infrastructure, manufacturing, oil and gas, telecommunications, power, and construction.
Additionally, the press briefing outlined the significant opportunities associated with Egypt hosting AAM2026, including enhancing the country’s position as a regional financial and business hub, supporting the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector, creating new opportunities for Egyptian businesses, investors and the broader private sector, as well as providing a major boost to tourism in Alamein.
Dr. Elombi said that the Bank has provided approximately US$9.5 billion in financing to Egypt over the past three years. He also referenced the groundbreaking of the Afreximbank African Trade Centre (AATC) in New Administrative Capital in December 2025, noting that the landmark US$250 million development will strengthen Egypt’s role as a regional hub for trade facilitation, payments, logistics, and SME development.
Dr Elombi further outlined plans for the proposed pan-African Gold Bank, an initiative designed to formalise Africa’s gold value chains, strengthen central bank reserves, and reduce the continent’s dependence on offshore refining and external trading centres.
Over the years, Afreximbank’s Annual Meetings have become one of the leading platforms for shaping dialogue on Africa’s economic future and advancing intra-Africa trade. The 33rd Afreximbank Annual Meetings are expected to bring together Heads of State, government ministers, central bank governors, business leaders, academics, entrepreneurs, private sector investors, and development partners. They will deliberate on the key issues shaping Africa’s economic future and trade agenda, while advancing practical solutions for the continent.
The AAM2026 programme will offer policy discussions, plenary sessions, business and investment forums, deal-signing ceremonies, major announcements, networking events, bilateral meetings, and forums on intra-African trade and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It will also feature presentations on trade finance, industrialisation, energy, infrastructure, and digital transformation.
