The Cooperation between Egypt and Germany has a long tradition and is characterized by a mutual understanding. The relationship is visible in many different ways.

Economically Egypt has a large manufacturing industry and a well educated workforce. It is embedded in the world wide trade and is a key country due to its operation of the Suez Channel. Tourism plays a vital role and gives employment opportunities for many locals. The red sea resorts offer a high quality tourism destination with an incredible underwater flora and fauna. Along the river Nile many archeological sites attract tourists and scientist from all over the world, so do many internationally recognized museums, like the new Grand Egyptian Museum. In Cairo you find the only German Federal Office with its headquarter outside Germany: the German archeological institute.

In Cairo and other cities German schools offer pupils to get the German Abitur and more than half a million Egyptians in Egypt do speak German language.

Concerning Green Energy and Hydrogen it is remarkable that the first solar concentrated power station was build and tested near Cairo with German technology already in 1913. The German entrepreneur Georg Kuhlmann financed the project and the valves and mirrors came from Germany. But solar thermical power did not become the energy source of choice. The oil crisis of the 1970s made people think again and the research has been resumed in Germany by the DLR Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (German Aerospace Center) with its seat in Köln and Jülich. In the area of the federal German state of Northrhine-Westfalia demonstration plants were build and in the last years, research about green hydrogen production and the needed technologies for production, distribution and use found its way into many research groups. It’s already proven: real green hydrogen can be done!

The commitment of Egypt to take profit from its deserts and geographical location combined with the German dedication to really go for alternative energy make both sides an ideal partner to go for a significant hydrogen production. It’s the starting point, as the change has to happen everywhere and the other countries of the European Union and its neighborhood in Northern Africa could join and profit from this partnership for the benefit of all. Climate change mitigation and adaption needs to be adressed- even worldwide.