Investment and the economy took center stage on Lamees El Hadidi’s Kelma Akhira last night, with Investment Minister Hassan El Khatib sitting down with El Hadidi for a wide-ranging interview (watch, runtime: 1:14:28). El Khatib said his top priority since taking office nine months ago has been pushing through long-overdue structural reforms. “Time is our biggest challenge,” he said, noting the government is dealing with policy legacies stretching back 15 years. “We have a real chance and a major challenge to deliver reforms, and the economic group knows what’s at stake.”

El Khatib teased some still unannounced investments, telling El Hadid that “we are currently negotiating a number of deals similar to Ras El Hekma, but we can’t announce them yet,” El Khatib said. The minister also said that a tender for the development of Downtown Cairo and its ministerial district will soon be launched, with the government aiming to “finalize the offering booklet within eight weeks.”

Outflows, yes — but policy is sound, El Khatib said, responding to a question on hot money outflows from Egypt’s local debt market amid recent global volatility. “I’m confident we have a clear, investment-friendly monetary policy that targets inflation,” he said, adding that “the flexible exchange rate ensures the competitiveness of Egyptian exports.”

“We are currently negotiating with the US side to reduce the 10% customs duties recently imposed on Egyptian goods,” El Khatib told El Hadidi. He added that “Egypt is working to lift customs restrictions not just on exports to the US, but also to the EU,” a move El Khatib believes will improve the competitiveness of Egyptian exports.

Trump’s don’t only present challenges however, according to El Khatib, who told El Hadidi that “The US tariffs present a very big window for Egypt, particularly in the readymade garments sector,” he said.

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