A familiar Egyptian song filled the air in Seoul on Thursday as a children’s choir welcomed Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during El-Sisi’s historic state visit.

The children sang the beloved Egyptian song “Feeha Haga Helwa” (“There’s Something Beautiful”) in Arabic, creating a warm cultural moment during a visit focused largely on strengthening political and economic ties between the two countries.

The visit comes as the two countries announced that they are elevating their relationship to a strategic partnership, opening the door to closer cooperation across a wide range of areas.

During talks in Seoul, El-Sisi and Lee discussed expanding cooperation in trade, investment, technology, energy, infrastructure, shipbuilding, and artificial intelligence.

The two sides signed 12 memoranda of understanding and agreements covering a wide range of sectors, while also agreeing to begin negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

For Egypt, South Korea is an important source of investment and technology, while Cairo’s location gives Korean companies a potential gateway to wider African markets.

The leaders also agreed to strengthen cooperation in education and culture. They designated 2027 as the Year of Cultural Exchanges, with plans to expand educational programs, scholarships, youth exchanges, and Korean-language education in Egypt.

Some of the most tangible projects emerging from the visit are in transport and infrastructure. 

Egypt’s National Authority for Tunnels and South Korean company Hyundai Rotem signed an MoU to explore a project involving 44 hydrogen-powered tram trainsets for Egypt’s New Administrative Capital.

The two sides will study the project’s feasibility and potential cooperation in construction, railway systems, operations, and maintenance before any final decision is made.

El-Sisi has also encouraged Korean companies to expand their investments in Egypt, particularly in manufacturing and advanced industries. 

During a meeting with representatives of 23 major Korean companies in Seoul, he renewed Egypt’s proposal for an integrated Korean industrial zone in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, which Cairo hopes could become a production and export hub for regional and international markets.