International Award for Foreign Trade Efforts in Building Export Capacities and Cooperation Among Islamic Countries

In recent years, developing export capabilities has been viewed as a tool for promoting economic growth and increasing access to foreign markets. In order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their various dimensions and at all levels.

In this sense, the Foreign Trade Training Center of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade won the “Distinguished Contribution Award to the Development of Trade among Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation”; This award is granted by the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC). In appreciation of its outstanding role in supporting exporters and developing intra-trade between Islamic countries.

Private sector development efforts

The honor came during the 2026 Islamic Development Bank Group Private Sector Forum, which was hosted by the Republic of Azerbaijan, in the presence of a number of officials and representatives of international financial and development institutions, in international recognition of the results achieved by the “Training a Step towards Exporting – STEP” project, which focused on qualifyingentrepreneurs, project owners and youth to engage in the field of trade. International.

There, Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, “Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade,” confirmed that the award reflects the success of national efforts aimed at enhancing intra-trade among the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, noting that building the capabilities of exporters represents an essential foundation for increasing Egyptian exports and improving its competitiveness in foreign markets.

Then the Minister explained that the Foreign Trade Training Center plays a pivotal role as the training arm of the Ministry. It works to prepare and qualify cadres capable of dealing with the variables of international trade, in addition to supporting Egyptian companies and enabling them to explore new opportunities for expansion and growth in regional and global markets.

This type of program is gaining increasing importance in light of the rapid transformations taking place in the global economy. Knowledge of international market requirements, compliance with global standards, and the use of modern marketing tools have become essential elements for enhancing competitiveness.

Egyptian export indicators

For her part, Dr. Mary Kamel, Executive Director of the Foreign Trade Training Center, confirmed that the award represents the culmination of continuous efforts aimed at building an integrated system for developing Egyptian exports, noting that the success of the first phase of the “STEP Project” opens a wide scope for transitioning towards the second phase, which aims to raise the efficiency of exporters and youth, and qualify specialized cadres to obtain an international trade diploma. Approved.

Empowering Youth and Entrepreneurs

According to the announced data, the project was able, in its first phase, to train about 600 beneficiaries, including entrepreneurs, project owners, and youth, through specialized programs that covered several topics, such as:

• E-commerce
• International Marketing
• Requirements for access to foreign markets
• Compliance with international standards
• Modern Export Procedures

Therefore, the results of the project indicate that investing in training and capacity building can achieve a sustainable impact on the performance of companies and small and medium enterprises, by enhancing their readiness to export and opening new horizons for them to expand in foreign markets. This reflects positively on economic growth rates and job opportunities.

Therefore, the award – the award for distinguished contribution to the development of trade – acquires additional importance. Because it demonstrates the extent of international institutions’ confidence in the Egyptian experience in the field of building export capabilities, and confirms that investing in the human element remains one of the most effective paths to enhancing the competitiveness of the national economy and achieving a stronger presence of Egyptian products in global markets.

In essence, the value of such initiatives is measured by their ability to reshape the cognitive structure of the economy itself. The world is currently witnessing an accelerating transition from an economy based on an abundance of resources to an economy whose features are defined by an abundance of skills, expertise, and the ability to access global trade networks.

Therefore,The Earth Guards Foundation appreciates such sustainable steps, in line with what building export capabilities can provide in supporting all dimensions of Egyptian foreign trade; Because every new exporter is qualified, and every small project succeeds in crossing the border into a foreign market. It is an additional building block in building a more diversified economy that is more able to adapt to global transformations, and to achieve decent work and fair economic growth.