Around the world, governments, agriculture companies, and individual farmers are increasingly concerned about how much food is grown and produced. “The globe currently faces numerous food-related issues, ranging from a lack of biodiversity to excessive waste, and from ill health caused by excessive consumption to widespread food insecurity,” Ahmed Zainul Abideen, a professor at the Faculty of Industrial Management at the University Malaysia Pahang in Malaysia, noted in a research paper. Those factors are intensifying the global food security problem. “By 2050, food demand is anticipated to increase [between] 59% [and] 98%,” Abideen noted. “This will shape agricultural markets in…
Author: Tamer Hafez
Improving Egypt’s food security and building a more environmentally friendly economy are two top priorities for the government, even if they sometimes conflict. According to Hannah Ritchie, science outreach lead at data curator Our World in Data, agriculture’s harmful impacts begin with “requiring large amounts of freshwater, which can cause significant environmental pressures in regions with water stress.” The second issue is that most conventional farming activity is a “crucial driver of climate change, responsible for around one-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions,” noted Ritchie. Meanwhile, EBSCO, a think tank, pointed out in a 2024 research paper that “cattle…
Egypt’s agriculture investment plan for fiscal year 2025/2026 is clear and ambitious. According to the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MPED), its annual state budget targets attracting $2.6 billion in private investment to the sector in fiscal year 2025/2026. That might prove challenging. Research notes from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), World Bank, and S&P Global collectively take a cautious stance on the future of agriculture FDI. They also highlight factors in the MENA region that undermine FDI inflows and outline how individual countries can sustain their foreign investment levels. S&P Global: MENA’s gauntlet The MENA…
Egypt’s history and economy have always centered around the Nile’s fresh water and fertile mud. In 2024, the country was the world’s largest exporter of oranges and fresh strawberries. It was the third-largest global exporter of dried onions, fifth for potatoes, and seventh for fresh onions, frozen strawberries, and garlic, according to World’s Top Exports, a data aggregator. It was also the top exporter of mangoes in the Arab world and second in Africa. Other noteworthy exports include pomegranates and sweet potatoes. In fiscal year (FY) 2023/2024, the value of exported agricultural products accounted for 14% of Egypt’s total non-oil…
For business leaders, having a harmonious workplace where everyone can perform to their maximum potential is a long-standing ambition. One way to achieve that goal is to build a dignity-first business environment. “Our universal yearning for dignity drives our species and defines us as human beings,” Donna Hicks said in her book, “Leading With Dignity.” “It’s our highest common denominator.” Despite its importance, “we know so little about it,” Hicks stressed. “Although we are all born with dignity, we are not born knowing how to act in accordance with this truth. Learning how to honor dignity doesn’t come naturally; it…
Health security is a massively critical topic for African governments, as the continent “has 24% of the world’s disease burden,” according to African Mission Healthcare, an NGO. Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control, told the IFC that promoting local pharmaceutical manufacturing represents “the second independence of Africa.” The first was liberation from colonial occupation. That disease burden stems from Africa being the poorest continent, and that “many sub-Saharan countries rely heavily on imported pharmaceuticals, which can be prohibitively expensive … meaning that many people cannot access the treatments they need,” noted Africa Mission Healthcare. Additionally,…
For Egypt-based pharmaceutical producers, the global pharma market and supply chains are crucial for the industry’s future. From 2020 to 2024, the local pharmaceutical trade value (imports plus exports) increased by nearly 25%, according to Central Bank data, reaching almost $5 billion. That trade volume will increase significantly by 2030 as the government aims to raise exports from $811 million in 2024 to $1.2 billion in 2025, $1.4 billion in 2026, and $3 billion by 2030. That will inevitably lead to more imports, as Egypt has been importing five to seven times more than it exports since 2020 (excluding 2021,…
Pharmaceutical availability has long been an essential part of governments’ attempts to ensure health security. The Middle East is proving a “new epicenter of growth, a powerful engine driving the future of global health,” noted Drug Patent Watch, a research platform, in July. For Egypt, where locally produced medicines exceed domestic demand (The country enjoys over 91% medicine self-sufficiency, based on government data), there is a significant opportunity to export to the six GCC countries. The big markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait, noted a report from Ardent Advisory, a financial advice firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions.…
Egypt’s pharmaceutical industry is in flux. In 2024, revenue increased 42% compared to 2023, according to IQVIA, a medical think tank. Most of those sales were locally made products that accounted for 91% of local demand, according to government data. That increase in sales revenue is a result of pharma companies raising prices after receiving government approval rather than volume growth. According to IQVIA, units sold fell 3% in 2024. For 2025 and beyond, new factors will come into play thanks to the government’s commitment to creating a friendly business environment for pharmaceutical producers. “Egypt is already one of the…
Almost 17 years later, the 2008 global financial crisis remains a warning of what can happen when investors, banks, and regulators overlook the risks of a game-changing advantage. Back then, it was that house prices would continue rising, fueled by the expectation the global economy would grow indefinitely. In 2025, it’s the expectation that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GenAI) will bring never-ending significant benefits to the financial sector. “In the dynamic world of financial services, AI [and] GenAI [have] become a linchpin of transformative change, redefining the operation and strategic horizons of the banking sector,” Kostis Chlouverakis, EY…