Exclusive | Atlas News | Amr Yehia
The “Arab-Balkans Corridor” (ABC) initiative was launched from Cairo, aiming to create an integrated path linking Arab markets with the Balkans and the European Union, facilitating the movement of trade, capital, investments and innovation, and opening the door to joint partnerships and projects and building new value chains between the two sides.
The initiative was launched during the Arab-Balkan Investment Forum in Cairo, with the participation of representatives from the private sector, chambers of commerce, economic institutions and diplomatic missions, alongside more than 30 companies from Egypt, Bulgaria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Greece and the Netherlands, operating in logistics, energy, industry, agriculture, food industries, real estate, infrastructure, information technology and services.
The forum witnessed diplomatic attendance from the European Union delegation to Egypt and the embassies of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Albania, alongside a number of ambassadors, senior diplomats and heads of commercial sections.
More than 30 companies from Egypt, Bulgaria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Greece and the Netherlands also participated, representing sectors of logistics, ports, shipping, maritime transport, energy, renewable energy, industry, manufacturing, construction, infrastructure, real estate, agriculture, food industries, information technology and services.
A unified path for trade, capital and innovation
Ahmed Nasr, Founder and CEO of BDS Holding B.V, the organizational and executive partner of the initiative, said that the launch of the Arab-Balkans Corridor represents a step toward creating a unified path for trade, capital and innovation linking Arab markets with the Balkans and the EU.
Nasr explained that the corridor aims to develop logistical connectivity by linking maritime shipping from Arab ports with railway hubs in Sofia and Niš, then completing the movement of goods via road transport by trucks, within an operational model based on a single contract and a single point of responsibility, which contributes to simplifying cross-border operations.
Digital tools and company verification
He added that the initiative relies on integrated digital platforms, alongside the AI-powered digital assistant “SILA,” to facilitate cross-border commercial operations through multilingual communication, company data verification and connecting buyers with sellers.
Nasr stressed that the use of technology in the corridor is subject to human oversight, according to the principle of “The machine checks… and the human decides,” whereby files and data are reviewed by specialists before approval.
He also announced the launch of the “Corridor Passport” as a tool to verify company data and match it with government records, aiming to build trust between trade partners and enhance transaction security.
He pointed out that the project operates as a private entity in accordance with global standards and aims to transform the corridor into a practical platform for trade, investment, joint production and innovation, not just a route for transporting goods.
Connecting Arab and Balkan business communities
For his part, Dr. Khaled Hanafy, Secretary-General of the Union of Arab Chambers, said that the launch of the ABC initiative as an economic system aims to connect the Arab and Balkan business communities and benefit from the geographical location of the two regions to create new opportunities for trade, investment, joint production and technology transfer.
Hanafy said that the philosophy of the initiative goes beyond the traditional concept of a trade corridor, combining transport, ports, customs, finance, information, investment, business matching and supply chains in one system.
He stressed that the Arab world possesses capital, energy, markets, ports and logistical hubs, while the Balkans represent a strategic link connecting the eastern Mediterranean with central and eastern Europe, providing opportunities for economic integration between the two sides.
He explained that the initiative aims to move from exchanging goods to joint investment, manufacturing, technology transfer and building interconnected value chains in sectors including industry, agriculture, food industries, energy, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, transport and logistics, infrastructure, technology and the digital economy.
Hanafy said: “We are not drawing a new route on the map… but we are making geography work for the economy,” stressing that the success of the initiative will be measured by the partnerships, projects and actionable investments it produces.
He pointed out that the initiative places small and medium-sized enterprises at the heart of the corridor by facilitating their access to information, partners, financing and markets, and enabling them to benefit from the networks of chambers of commerce to reduce the cost of entering new markets.
Cairo as a platform for partnerships with Africa
Ahmed El Wakil, President of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce (FEDCOC), stressed the importance of strengthening economic partnerships between Egypt and Balkan countries, noting that historical relations between the two sides provide a suitable foundation for expanding trade and investment cooperation.
El Wakil explained that banks and financing institutions can play a key role in turning the proposed opportunities into actual projects, especially in trade exchange and joint investment between Africa and Balkan countries.
He stressed that the success of economic meetings is not measured by what is announced during sessions, but by what is implemented and followed up after the events conclude.
He affirmed that Cairo, with its strategic location, institutional infrastructure and experience in hosting economic events, is qualified to play a pivotal role as a center for launching partnerships between the Arab world and the Balkans toward African markets.
The events included direct business matchmaking meetings between companies and businesspeople from both sides, with the aim of moving from exchanging visions and making introductions to identifying opportunities, partners and projects that can be followed up and implemented.
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