Oversight of profitable public enterprises is moving to the Sovereign Fund of Egypt and the cabinet’s State-Owned Enterprises Oversight Unit, three government sources tell EnterpriseAM. The news follows the latest cabinet reshuffle and the dissolution of the Public Enterprises Ministry.

Roughly 110 companies are slated to fall under the fund’s umbrella, the sources said, with an eye to helping develop them or offering up stakes in the state’s privatization push. About 53% of these firms operate in manufacturing, spanning real estate, construction, building materials, and retail trade — sectors long viewed as low-hanging fruit for Gulf and foreign investors, underpinned by steady domestic demand and tangible asset bases.

Why it matters: Under the new structure, the two entities will steer these companies with a sharper focus on profitability and operational efficiency. The shift signals a more centralized, performance-driven approach — one that aims to treat state-owned firms less as administrative appendages and more as balance-sheet assets.

Companies under the now disbanded ministry’s umbrella making limited or substantial losses will be reassigned to ministries best aligned with their activities, with the number of companies standing at around 36, we were told.

What’s next? An updated version of the State Ownership Policy Document is expected to land on the new government’s desk by the end of June, the sources say. The document will chart the future of some 561 state-owned companies based on a preliminary inventory — a sweeping review that could redefine the state’s economic footprint.

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