Dr. Mohamed Farid, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, affirmed that the growth opportunities for Egyptian exports are not limited to industrial and agricultural goods, but also extend to services in which Egypt enjoys competitive capabilities and growth opportunities in foreign markets.
He revealed that work is underway to establish an export council for services during the upcoming period, which will contribute to enhancing coordination between relevant entities and service providers, developing mechanisms for promoting Egyptian services, and opening new markets for Egyptian companies and competencies.
We continue with full confidence and seriousness to improve the investment landscape and enhance the efficiency of government services
Dr. Mohamed Farid explained that economic reforms have contributed to boosting foreign direct investment flows to Egypt, which recorded about $18 billion in the fiscal year (2025-2026), stressing that the coming phase requires continued work to remove procedural challenges facing investors, improve the efficiency of government services, and enhance the attractiveness of the Egyptian economy for new investments.
This came during the participation of the Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade in a panel discussion within the activities of the Egypt 2026 Forum, held under the slogan "Towards Productive Investment, Competitive Industry, and Sustainable Jobs," to discuss ways to enhance productive investment, support the competitiveness of Egyptian industry, develop the business environment, and increase exports, contributing to building a strong production base and providing sustainable job opportunities.
Investment is a driving force for production, employment, and building a competitive export base
The Minister emphasized that investment represents a driving force to transform economic potentials into production and employment, stressing the importance of building a strong production and export base qualified to integrate into global value chains by focusing on industries with competitive advantages, and directing incentives toward the sectors most capable of deepening industry and localizing technology.
Developing local supply chains to meet the needs of factories and companies
He added that enhancing production for export requires developing local supply chains to meet the needs of factories and companies, which supports production continuity, increases local components, and raises the ability of Egyptian products to compete in international markets.
Balancing investor requirements with the state's financial capabilities
Farid explained that developing the business environment requires achieving a balance between the requirements of investors and exporters on the one hand, and the state's available financial capabilities and development priorities on the other hand, in light of the competition of various productive sectors for resources allocated for incentives and support.
The importance of directing available resources toward sectors most capable of generating added value
He pointed out the importance of directing available resources toward the sectors most capable of achieving added value, deepening local manufacturing, localizing technology, and increasing exports, in order to achieve the best economic return from the incentives provided to productive activities.
Commitment to international trade agreements to enhance Egypt's integration into global markets
The Minister stressed that Egypt is part of the global economy and is bound by international trade agreements to which it is committed, which requires taking into account the rules and obligations regulating trade and industry when developing national policies and procedures, thereby supporting the integration of the Egyptian economy into the global trade map and enhancing the ability of Egyptian companies to access foreign markets.
The local investor is the best ambassador for Egypt and we are working to support them for success and expansion
Dr. Mohamed Farid affirmed that the local investor represents the best ambassador to promote Egypt, as the success of Egyptian companies and their ability to expand reflect a positive image of the investment climate, and contribute to boosting investor confidence and attracting more new investments.
He stressed the continuation of work to support investors and empower them to expand their productive activities, improve the services provided to them, and address the challenges they face, thereby enhancing the contribution of private investment to economic activity.
Investment zones are an advanced model for facilitating procedures and localizing development
The Minister explained that investment zones scattered across various governorates of the republic have contributed to increasing the business volume of companies, providing job opportunities, and stimulating economic activity in their surrounding areas, emphasizing that this model represents one of the important mechanisms for facilitating procedures, attracting investments, and localizing development.
He pointed out that investment zones represent an advanced model for applying the one-stop-shop system by providing a more integrated framework for the services and procedures required by the investor, helping to reduce bureaucracy and facilitate the establishment and expansion of projects.
Ambitious plans to expand investment zones in various governorates
The Minister added that the ministry is working to expand the investment zones model in various governorates of the republic, contributing to distributing investments over a broader geographical scope, utilizing the economic potentials of the governorates, and enhancing local development.
Investment zones and free zones have provided hundreds of thousands of jobs
The Minister of Investment noted that investment and free zones have provided hundreds of thousands of job opportunities, reflecting their role in supporting productive activity and employment, providing job opportunities near population clusters, and enhancing the benefit of governorates' residents from the projects established therein.
Digitalization is the basis for developing services and eliminating bureaucracy
Dr. Mohamed Farid stressed that improving the investment landscape requires the continuous development of government services and procedures, explaining that the ministry agrees with investors on the need for further improvement and continuously works to address the challenges they face.
He affirmed that the goal is to prevent investors from having to move between government entities to follow up on their requests, and to make digitalization the basis for developing the service system and reducing bureaucracy by enabling electronic tracking of procedures and identifying the entities responsible for completing them.
The "Entities" platform to track investor procedures and expedite their completion
The Minister pointed out the importance of developing a digital platform that allows tracking investor procedures, calculating the timeframes required for their completion, and tracking their various stages, which helps identify obstacles, expedite the completion of procedures, and enhance the efficiency of coordination between relevant entities.
7 entities on a digital platform to expedite the approval of capital increase minutes
Dr. Mohamed Farid explained that the ministry is working on developing a digital platform for procedures related to approving capital increase minutes, comprising seven relevant entities, aiming to accelerate the pace of completing procedures, reduce the time and effort required, and facilitate companies' dealings with government entities.
Addressing delayed approvals and expediting services provided to investors
The Minister stressed the necessity of addressing challenges related to lengthy procedures and multiple approvals, noting that the delay of certain services and approvals for periods extending to several months does not align with the requirements of investment and production, necessitating the development of working mechanisms and enhanced coordination between relevant entities.
Government offerings and expanding the ownership base.. the key to attracting foreign investment and empowering the private sector
The Minister of Investment explained that government offerings and expanding the ownership base of government companies represent two fundamental factors for attracting foreign investments and empowering the private sector, supporting the expansion of the investor base, enhancing private sector participation in economic activity, and contributing to increasing productive investments.
The success of the private sector is a success for the Egyptian economy
Dr. Mohamed Farid stressed that the success of the private sector represents a success for the Egyptian economy as a whole, emphasizing the importance of fostering a business environment supportive of company growth and expansion, which contributes to increasing investments and production, creating more job opportunities, and boosting economic growth.
We are working to expand the exporter base
Regarding increasing exports, the Minister emphasized the importance of expanding the base of exporting companies, and we are working to empower more companies and factories to enter foreign markets and benefit from available export opportunities.
He explained that expanding the exporter base requires developing the business environment, providing necessary information to companies, enhancing their ability to meet the requirements of foreign markets, and directing support tools toward sectors and activities capable of increasing exports and diversifying their structure.
Meetings with 13 export councils to identify opportunities for increasing exports
The Minister pointed out that the ministry held in-depth meetings with nearly 13 export councils to listen to their visions and proposals regarding increasing exports and to identify the challenges facing various sectors, which helps develop policies and procedures in accordance with the needs of producers and exporters.
Export targets are always consistent with the plans of export councils
Dr. Mohamed Farid affirmed that export increase targets are consistent with the plans of the export councils, taking into account the nature of each sector and the opportunities available for its products in foreign markets, which supports the setting of targets linked to production potentials and the competitive capabilities of Egyptian companies.
Activating the role of the General Organization for Exhibitions and Fairs to support the Egyptian product and exporter
The Minister stressed the importance of further activating the role of the General Organization for Exhibitions and Fairs in supporting the Egyptian product and exporter by enhancing opportunities for participation in international exhibitions, promoting Egyptian products, and connecting companies with international markets and buyers, contributing to opening new markets and increasing the competitiveness of Egyptian exports.
Foreign Trade Information Portal to familiarize exporters with market opportunities
The Minister explained that the ministry launched the Foreign Trade Information Portal to enhance the knowledge infrastructure related to foreign trade and provide information that helps exporters identify available opportunities and international market requirements, supporting the identification of target markets and the development of export plans on more accurate foundations.
He emphasized the importance of utilizing data to support the decisions of companies and exporters, and identifying products that enjoy competitive opportunities in various markets, contributing to improving the efficiency of promotion efforts for Egyptian exports.
A new regulatory lab to enhance the competitiveness of foreign trade
Dr. Mohamed Farid added that the ministry is working on launching a regulatory lab to be announced soon, aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of the foreign trade system and developing solutions to help address challenges facing exporters, contributing to improving procedures and developing tools supporting export growth.
Artificial intelligence and digital tools to support industry and export
The Minister of Investment pointed out the importance of utilizing technology, artificial intelligence, and data in developing the investment and export system through digital tools that help connect companies, factories, and exporters, identify opportunities available for Egyptian products, improve decision-making efficiency, and enhance competitiveness in international markets.
Integrating government and private efforts to enhance production and exports
The Minister concluded by emphasizing that achieving the state's targets in attracting investments and increasing exports requires continuous coordination between the government and the private sector, expanding production for export, deepening local manufacturing, localizing technology, developing local supply chains, improving government services and procedures, and enhancing reliance on data and technology, thereby supporting the building of a more competitive production and export base and providing sustainable job opportunities.
