Her announcement came during a Wednesday meeting between the Egyptian Minister of Industry and Trade Nevin Gamea and representatives of Amazon International – via video conference – also attended by Omar al-Sahi, CEO of Souq (an Amazon-company).

Saif also expressed her company’s eagerness to attract Egyptian companies to market more products through Amazon’s electronic platforms – particularly with ready-to-wear clothes, household items, plastics, and electronic device accessories.

The COVID-19 pandemic has helped increase Amazon’s investments and number of employees by 30 percent, she said.

Amazon markets products from 26 sectors around the world, Saif added, and employs 80,000 workers in its branches globally with 1,000 in Egypt.

Sahi meanwhile said that as Amazon markets millions of products globally, the Ministry of Trade and Industry can play an important role in encouraging various Egyptian companies to obtain the necessary local and international qualifications allowing them to utilize Amazon’s platform.

And Gamea explained that in light of the global repercussions from the coronavirus, e-commerce has imposed itself on every aspect of the economy.

Her ministry is thus currently working to develop the e-commerce system for all industrial sectors, aiming to increase the popularity of Egyptian products locally and to increase Egypt’s exports to foreign markets.

She added that her ministry is also looking to create a comprehensive electronic platform to display not only products but also the manufacturing capabilities available to all Egyptian factories.

This would support local supply chains and meet the needs of the factories for these products.