The American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt’s Real Estate Conference, held on January 27, offered a timely snapshot of a sector undergoing a structural reset. After years driven by inflation, currency depreciation, and speculative demand, Egypt’s real estate market is recalibrating toward a more disciplined phase, shaped by macroeconomic stabilization, product quality, and the early emergence of real estate as an export-driven industry. The transition is gradual and uneven, but speakers agreed it is structural rather than cyclical. Stabilization, without complacency Opening the conference, Mohamed Youssef, CEO of Dcode Economic and Financial Consulting, framed Egypt’s economy as emerging from a…
Author: Rana Salem
Egypt’s balance of payments recorded an improvement in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025/2026, as the current account deficit narrowed, according to data released by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) on January 21. The CBE said the current account deficit declined by 45.2 percent year-on-year, reaching $ 3.2 billion during the July–September 2025 period, compared with US$ 5.9 billion in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year. The overall balance of payments (BoP) recorded a deficit of $ 1.6 billion, compared with $ 991.2 million a year earlier. Current account developments According to the CBE, net unrequited…
At the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi highlighted Egypt’s reform-driven development model, linking infrastructure, private-sector growth, and human capital to long-term economic resilience and regional stability. El-Sisi highlighted that Egypt’s investments over the past decade have strengthened both economic fundamentals and the country’s role as a stabilizing force in the region. “The infrastructure per se is in itself a stabilizing factor, because businessmen and institutions are inclined to come to Egypt to contribute,” he said on January 21. Infrastructure and connectivity as growth drivers The president outlined Egypt’s focus on building modern infrastructure to attract…
Egypt is strengthening its position in artificial intelligence (AI) readiness as governments across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) shift from policy design to implementation, according to the 2025 Government AI Readiness Index published by Oxford Insights. Egypt’s AI readiness Within the MENA region, Egypt is identified as one of the countries accelerating its AI agenda through updated policy frameworks and expanded public-sector digitalization. The report points to Egypt’s revised national AI strategy as a key driver of progress, aligning AI policy more closely with broader digital transformation priorities. This momentum is underpinned by Egypt’s Digital Egypt agenda under…
Egypt has signed agreements worth more than $1.8 billion to develop two major clean energy and battery manufacturing projects, marking one of the country’s largest steps to date toward building a fully integrated renewable energy ecosystem. The agreements were signed on January 11 and witnessed by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly ahead of his visit to the Suez Canal Economic Zone, underscoring the projects’ strategic importance to Egypt’s energy and industrial ambitions. Energy Valley: a new model for round-the-clock clean power The first project, led by Norway-based renewable energy company Scatec, will see the development of the Energy Valley project in…
Egypt is positioning itself as a regional and increasingly global digital hub, driven by rapid growth in offshoring, artificial intelligence adoption, and large-scale talent development, Communications and Information Technology Minister Amr Talaat said on December 18. Speaking at the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (AmCham Egypt) Luncheon, Talaat said the country’s digital strategy is delivering measurable economic outcomes, including job creation, export growth, and rising investor confidence. The number of companies operating offshore from Egypt has increased from 90 in 2022 to 240 today, while ICT exports linked to offshoring have nearly doubled, rising from $2.5 billion to $4.8…
Egypt and the African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank) have taken a significant step toward reshaping Africa’s gold economy, signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore the creation of a pan-African Gold Bank. The initiative aims to formalise gold value chains, strengthen central bank reserves and reduce the continent’s dependence on foreign refining and trading hubs. The agreement was signed at the Central Bank of Egypt’s headquarters by CBE Governor Hassan Abdalla and Afreximbank President and Chairman George Elombi. Under the MoU, the two institutions will jointly commission a feasibility study to assess the technical, commercial and regulatory requirements for establishing…
Egypt’s central bank has initiated its long-anticipated easing cycle with a 100 basis point rate cut, but policymakers and analysts agree that further reductions will be gradual and highly sensitive to both domestic inflation trends and external risks. The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) cut the overnight deposit rate to 20 percent, the overnight lending rate to 21 percent, and the main operation and discount rates to 20.5 percent. The move marks the first rate reduction in nearly two years, following an extended tightening cycle aimed at restoring macroeconomic and financial stability. Real rates are still doing the heavy lifting…
Egypt’s non-oil private sector activity surged to a five-year high in November 2025, snapping an eight-month streak of contraction. The S&P Global Egypt Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 51.1, up from 49.2 in October, crossing the 50.0 growth threshold for the first time since February. Local surge vs. global cooling The acceleration in Egypt comes at a notable moment for the global economy. While the J.P. Morgan Global PMI Composite Output Index remained in expansion territory at 52.7 in November, it registered a slight dip from the previous month, driven by softening growth in emerging markets. Egypt’s rebound effectively…
The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has announced a bold new step in its digital transformation journey, unveiling plans to establish a national digital financial identity system that will allow citizens to access banking services securely without visiting physical branches. The announcement was made during the opening of the 12th International Conference on Digital Payments, Financial Inclusion, and Digital Banking (PAFIX), where Central Bank Governor Hassan Abdullah’s keynote address was delivered on his behalf by Mohamed Amer, Acting Deputy Governor for Banking Operations and Payment Systems. Digital transformation as a strategic imperative In his remarks, Amer emphasized that digital transformation…