Training Employees in Free and Investment Zones on Communication and Negotiation Skills
Dr. Mohamed Farid:
Continuous development of GAFI employees’ capabilities is part of delivering a distinguished and smart investor experience
Dr. Mohamed Awad:
The training program aims to enhance employees’ efficiency and competitiveness in support of investment promotion and facilitation efforts
The Foreign Trade Training Center (FTTC), the training arm of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade, organized— in coordination with the Training Academy of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) — a specialized training program entitled “Investor Negotiation and Effective Communication Skills” aimed at developing the capabilities of employees working in investment and free zones. The program was delivered with the participation of a distinguished group of specialists and experts, in line with the Ministry’s vision to enhance the competitiveness and quality of services provided to investors through qualified and well-trained personnel capable of delivering flexible and competitive investment services.
Dr. Mohamed Farid, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, stated that the Ministry firmly believes in the importance of continuously developing the capabilities of GAFI employees as part of delivering a distinguished investor experience that enhances the efficiency and competitiveness of the business environment. He noted that sound policies require qualified personnel capable of implementing them in a manner that fulfills the objectives of stimulating and attracting domestic and foreign investments.
The training program was inaugurated by Dr. Mary Kamel, Executive Director of the Foreign Trade Training Center, while Dr. Mohamed Awad, GAI CEO, delivered remarks during the opening session. He emphasized that training and qualifying human resources ranks among GAFI’s top priorities to ensure the provision of high-quality and competitive services that support and encourage committed investors.
The organization of the program comes within the framework of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade’s orientation toward developing employees’ capabilities and enhancing the efficiency of services provided to investors, thereby contributing to improving the investment climate within investment and free zones.
The program also represents one of the mechanisms of integration between GAFI and the FTTC as part of the Ministry’s plan to unify the efforts of affiliated entities in order to enhance institutional efficiency and support the Egyptian government’s vision of increasing the attractiveness of the Egyptian economy to domestic and foreign investments.
The program aimed to develop participants’ communication, negotiation, and professional investor relations skills, while also introducing employees to best practices for professional and disciplined engagement with investors, achieving service excellence, managing difficult situations, and transforming challenges into opportunities.
Dr. Awad highlighted the importance of unifying the promotional discourse and institutional message across GAFI’s various sectors in a manner that reflects the priorities of the Ministry, namely responsiveness, accuracy of information, and effective communication.
He affirmed GAFI’s commitment to continuously listening to stakeholders’ feedback, reducing service delivery time, and improving the investor experience. He also noted that officials from the FTTC will follow up with trainees to ensure the practical implementation of the program’s objectives.
The coming period will also witness the launch of a series of specialized training programs for employees of companies operating within free and investment zones, with the aim of developing the investment ecosystem as a whole.
