Banking & Finance Remittance revival pushes Egypt’s FX reserves to record Egypt recorded its highest foreign exchange reserves ever in June, after remittances rose almost 75 percent year on year. Boosted by the disbursement of loans and investment deals, as well as the return of remittance payments to the formal banking sector, reserves reached $46.38 billion, up from $46.13 billion in May, which itself was also […] July 9, 2024
Analysis Energy Temporary LNG fix masks Egypt’s energy crunch The first two liquefied natural gas cargos arrived at the Egyptian port of Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea this week, bringing hope of relief to a suffocating population trapped in the summer heat and suffering now daily blackouts. However, this temporary fix is unlikely to resolve Egypt’s energy crunch in the long term. Falling […] July 5, 2024
Economy Egyptian business confidence improves but pessimism remains Egyptian businesses reported significant new sales for the first time since 2021 in June but are still more pessimistic than optimistic, according to the latest purchasing managers index (PMI) report. The survey released by S&P Global reported a headline PMI of 49.9, the highest in almost three years and just shy of the 50.0 mark […] July 4, 2024
Economy New oil and finance ministers in Egyptian cabinet reshuffle The Egyptian government has conducted a long-awaited cabinet reshuffle resulting in a series of new appointees to important ministries including foreign affairs, finance and petroleum. A handful of existing ministers expanded their portfolios. Abdel Fattah El Sisi, the Egyptian president, swore in the new cabinet, which will be led by the incumbent prime minister Mostafa […] July 4, 2024
Tourism Egypt’s $21bn project to rival Europe’s top holiday destinations Cairo-based Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG) is investing $21 billion to develop a new tourism project on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast to compete with Europe. Named SouthMed, the development will cover 23 million square metres and is expected to generate sales of $35 billion, Reuters reported, citing CEO Hisham Talaat Moustafa. Initial bookings reached EGP60 billion ($1.25 billion) […] July 3, 2024
Tourism Egypt hails record tourist numbers despite regional conflict Egypt received a record number of tourists during the first two quarters of 2024 despite ongoing conflict in the region. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said on Monday that 7.1 million tourists visited the country in the first half of the year, breaking the previous record for the same period of 6.9 million in […] July 2, 2024
Logistics Red Sea disruption to stretch into Q3 says Maersk CEO Disruption in the Red Sea is expected to stretch into the third quarter of 2024, making the situation challenging for carriers and businesses, Danish shipping major Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc has said. “For the time being, Maersk ships are continuing to divert around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa,” he said, […] July 2, 2024
Trade Trade flourishes between Israel and Arab states Israel’s trade with Middle Eastern countries including Egypt, Morocco and Bahrain grew in the year to the end of May despite regional tensions and the Gaza war, a think tank report has revealed. The figures, compiled by the Abraham Accords Peace Institute (AAPI), rely on data from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics. Israel’s trade with […] July 2, 2024
Renewable Energy BP joins Masdar in Egyptian green hydrogen project BP, the British oil and gas company, has agreed to join a consortium including Masdar, the UAE’s state renewable energy company, and others to develop a multi-phase green hydrogen project in Egypt. The plans come as Reuters reports suggest that BP has frozen new offshore wind projects, as it renews emphasis on oil and gas […] July 2, 2024
Trade Deals between European and Egyptian companies worth $43bn European companies are signing more than €40 billion ($43 billion) worth of deals with Egyptian companies across a range of sectors, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said. “We have companies in sectors ranging from hydrogen to water management, from construction to chemicals, from shipping to aviation and to automotive,” she said at […] July 1, 2024
Opinion Finance Sharia index is tentative step for Islamic finance in Egypt Egyptian governments and investors have an awkward relationship with sharia-compliant finance June 26, 2024
Economy World Bank’s $700m push for Egypt’s private sector The World Bank will provide $700 million in funding to Egypt to address short-term economic challenges. The development policy financing (DPF) will aid in supporting the Egyptian government’s focus towards more private sector participation. The financing will further advance structural reforms to level the playing field to support private sector growth, build macroeconomic and fiscal […] June 25, 2024
Video length: 07:15 Tourism Egypt shuts down 16 travel companies after Hajj tragedy Egypt has withdrawn the operating licences of 16 travel companies for organising unlicensed Hajj trips to Saudi Arabia. A statement from the Egyptian government said the companies would be prosecuted and fined, with the funds used to compensate pilgrims’ families for their loss. Hundreds of Egyptians were among 1,301 people who died of exposure to […] June 24, 2024
Oil & Gas New Carlyle entity to manage East Med gas projects Carlyle, the Nasdaq-listed private equity company, is creating a new oil and gas company to manage recently-acquired assets in the Mediterranean hydrocarbons market. The new as yet un-named entity will be led by former BP CEO Tony Hayward and will manage a portfolio of gas-weighted exploration and production assets in Italy, Egypt and Croatia, according […] June 24, 2024
Economy Cairo and Istanbul feel biggest cost of living squeeze Dubai has become the most expensive city in the Middle East for expatriate workers, while Cairo and Istanbul were among the cities that saw the biggest rise in the cost of living this year, as soaring inflation impacted wages. Dubai, the UAE’s largest city, saw rental prices rise by about a fifth in the last […] June 18, 2024
Analysis Economy Egypt shows signs of recovery after landmark IMF deal Last Friday marked 100 days since Egypt, the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) second-biggest debtor after Argentina, agreed its latest loan. Eased by a $35 billion development deal with the UAE and increased international concern for Egypt’s economic stability following the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the deal drew a line under more than two […] June 17, 2024
Development US allocates $130m development funding to Egypt The US has allocated funding of $130 million for a range of developmental projects in Egypt, it was announced on Thursday. In a press release published by the US Embassy in Cairo, ambassador Herro Mustafa Garg said that the money would go towards “advancing Egyptian efforts to achieve a brighter, healthier, and more prosperous future […] June 14, 2024
Analysis Markets Hopes high for Egypt’s shariah-compliant index The Egyptian stock exchange has announced the launch of a long-awaited shariah-compliant index, a move observers say is likely to attract new investors and boost the North African country’s latent Islamic banking sector. Gulf investors are said to be particularly interested. The chairman of the Egyptian Exchange (EGX), Ahmed el Sheikh, announced that the new […] June 13, 2024
Analysis Finance Egypt confronts sell-off of more state assets More sales of Egyptian state assets from petrol stations to wind farms are likely to be announced in the financial year to June 2025, according to people familiar with the negotiations. A deal with the UAE worth $35 billion to develop a resort at Ras El Hekma on the Mediterranean has eased the pressure on […] June 11, 2024
Economy Egypt inflation drops below 30% for first time in 15 months Egypt’s inflation rate dropped below 30 percent in May for the first time in 15 months, slowing at a faster rate than most had predicted. Urban consumer price inflation was 28.1 percent year on year for May, a drop from 32.5 percent in April, the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics announced on Monday. […] June 11, 2024
