“Many Egyptians consume Australian products without even knowing they’re Australian,” said Australia’s Ambassador to Egypt, Axel Wabenhorst, during a reception in Cairo celebrating Australia Day at the Ambassador’s Residence on Monday, 27 October.
“There’s a good chance that the fava beans that you consume were grown in Australia. In fact, over half of Egypt’s fava beans come from there. Even the kebda (Liver) you enjoy might be made with Australian liver, and the meat you find in many fine restaurants and supermarkets is Australian,” the ambassador added.
The ambassador’s remarks came as part of a broader reflection on 75 years of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Australia, which began in 1950 when Australia opened its first embassy in the Middle East and North Africa in Cairo.
During the celebration, the ambassador highlighted Australia’s vibrant multiculturalism, noting that “people have come from every land on earth, including Egypt, to call Australia home.” He added that 60,000 Australian residents were born in Egypt and more than 100,000 identify as being of Egyptian heritage.
“Egyptians are a well-established and respected community. Two Australian ministers and a Supreme Court judge have Egyptian roots,” he noted.
The ambassador also spotlighted Egyptian-Australian cultural figures such as Joseph Tawadros, who won the Australian Recording Industry Association Music (ARIA) Award seven times, and who headlines this year’s Cairo International Jazz Festival.
Wabenhorst celebrated the growing cultural exchange between the two nations, saying, “Three major Egyptology exhibitions in Australia last year fueled Australians’ fascination with ancient Egypt, leading to a rise in tourism.”
“And just last August, a remarkable collaboration took place when Australian composer Lee Bradshaw joined Egyptian conductor Nayer Nagui for a symphonic concert,” he added.
Discussing trade and investment, Wabenhorst noted that “Egypt is now Australia’s second-largest trading partner in Africa, with bilateral trade valued at USD 900 million (EGP 42 billion) annually.”
Guests at the celebration enjoyed Australian lamb provided by Meat & Livestock Australia, prepared by certified Egyptian master chef Tarek Ibrahim, in a gesture that, like the evening itself, symbolized the enduring flavor of friendship between Egypt and Australia.
Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Alaa Farouk, invited Australian investors to expand their investments in Egypt, highlighting the government’s incentives and flexible economic policies that encourage private sector participation.
According to Farouk, the ministry is working to ease the entry of Egyptian agricultural exports into Australian markets to strengthen trade and mutual cooperation between the two countries.
Marking 75 years of diplomatic relations, both countries are working to attract Australian investment to Egypt in various sectors, including clean energy, agriculture, and technology.
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