Egypt is in advanced discussions with Alibaba Group to create a major regional hub designed to strengthen e-commerce, digital infrastructure, and supply-chain integration across Africa. The Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement (UPA) met with Alibaba representatives to explore collaboration on a wide range of initiatives covering digital transformation, logistics, procurement, and trade facilitation.
The proposed hub would be located within UPA’s warehouse network, enabling Alibaba to support the Unified Procurement for Africa initiative while improving regional supply-chain efficiency. The hub aims to position Egypt as a key logistical gateway for the continent, expanding access to global markets and boosting intra-African and Middle Eastern trade.
Both sides also discussed developing a regional digital platform to connect users across Egypt, Africa, and the Middle East. This platform would enhance trade flows, streamline procurement, and increase African participation in global e-commerce through Alibaba’s international marketplace ecosystem.
The collaboration spans multiple strategic areas, including strengthening export–import opportunities for Egyptian and African products, accelerating digital transformation through advanced data technologies, and exploring research partnerships in AI and digital infrastructure between institutions in Egypt, China, and Africa. The discussions also touched on cooperation in healthcare through participation in Africa Health ExCon 2025.
The initiative supports Egypt’s ambition to become a leading logistics and technology hub for Africa, aligning with broader regional development goals and enabling greater economic integration across the continent.
