Egyptian Ambassador to Korea Khaled Abdel Rahman lauded South Korea’s development cooperation and investments that align with Egypt’s Vision 2030, marking the 73rd anniversary of Egypt’s National Day on Friday.

The National Day, commemorated every July 23, celebrates the 1952 revolution that abolished the monarchy and established modern Egypt. As the country looks ahead, Vision 2030 serves as a blueprint to enhance the quality of life through justice, inclusion and civic participation.

“Complementing these investments, KOTRA, KOICA and the Export-Import Bank of Korea have supported Egypt’s development through programs in green energy, digital transformation, vocational training and rural development — aligned with Egypt’s Vision 2030,” said Rahman during a commemorative event in Seoul.

He highlighted Egypt’s $59 billion commitment to building a new smart city east of Cairo — integrating artificial intelligence, the internet of things, automated infrastructure and sustainable transport, expressing gratitude toward Samsung, LG, Hyundai Rotem, KHNP and Doosan, for investments in projects such as metro trains to the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant.

“The distance between the Pyramids of Giza and the palaces of Seoul may be great, but our aspirations converge,” Rahman noted.

Egypt and Korea established diplomatic relations on April 13, 1995, evolving from cordial exchanges into a comprehensive cooperative partnership, significantly strengthened by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi’s 2016 visit to Seoul and then-President Moon Jae-in’s 2022 visit to Cairo.

Meanwhile, Lee Tae-woo, Korea’s Ambassador for International Cyber Cooperation, noted that bilateral trade surged from $500 million in 1995 to over $3 billion in 2023.

Lee shared an Arabic saying, “Al rafik kabl al tarik,” which means “Choose your friend before choosing your path.” He added, “With a good friend, even a tough road becomes enjoyable.”

The event was attended by members of the diplomatic corps, embassy officials, foreign residents in Korea, Korean company executives, nongovernmental organizations and the media.