Arab Finance: Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Farid has issued a ministerial decree appointing Commercial Minister Plenipotentiary Alaa Bially as Chairman of the Egypt Expo & Convention Authority (EECA), succeeding Commercial Minister Plenipotentiary Essam El-Naggar, who has been appointed head of the Egyptian Trade Office in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, as per a statement.
The appointment comes as part of the Ministry of Investment’s efforts to enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of exhibitions and conferences as a tool to support Egyptian exports and expand their access to international markets.
Farid met with both Bially and El-Naggar to oversee the transition and ensure the continuity of the authority’s operations. During the meeting, the minister thanked El-Naggar for his tenure and directed the new chairman to strengthen the authority’s efficiency, competitiveness, and services to better promote Egyptian products in local and international markets.
The minister also instructed the new management to accelerate the preparation and implementation of a work plan aimed at improving Egypt’s participation in international exhibitions in line with global standards, expanding into target markets, and strengthening partnerships with export councils, the business community, and the private sector.
The plan is intended to support export growth, attract foreign investment, and advance the state’s sustainable economic growth objectives while enhancing the competitiveness of the Egyptian economy.
Bially brings more than 25 years of experience in commercial diplomacy, international business development, investment attraction, and export development. Most recently, he headed the Investment Promotion Department at the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade’s Trade Representation Office.
Throughout his career, he has held several diplomatic and economic positions in Egypt and abroad, including serving as Commercial Consul of Egypt in Canada and Commercial and Economic Advisor at the Egyptian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Bially holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Johns Hopkins University in the US and has obtained several international professional certifications in commercial diplomacy, international economics, and investment. He is fluent in Arabic, English, French, and Spanish.
Meanwhile, El-Naggar will assume leadership of the Egyptian Trade Office in Abidjan. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics and political science from Cairo University and completed a fellowship at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government in 2007.
