DP World’s USD 85 Sokhna Logistics Park goes online

Monday, 27 Oct 2025

DP World’s USD 85 Sokhna Logistics Park goes online

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Today at a glance

Trade

China eyes duties exemption for Egyptian exports.

Logistics

DP World’s USD 85 Sokhna Logistics Park goes online.

Manufacturing

Madbouly inaugurates over USD 47 mn-worth of projects in Sokhna.

What We're Tracking Today

Saudi Arabia remains undecided regarding potential Red Sea investments.

EARNINGS WATCH

SODIC’s bottom line up 150% y-o-y in 9M 2025.

Also on our Radar

Nahdet Misr to set up USD 100 mn waste-to-energy plant?

PLANET FINANCE

Cooling US inflation makes the case for Fed rate cuts.

BLACKBOARD

Egypt launches the first of 100 German public schools.

What We're Tracking Today

Saudi Arabia remains undecided regarding potential Red Sea investments

Good morning, all. After a slow start to the week, the news flow has picked up with Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly’s day out in Sokhna leading the news well. Madbouly inaugurated a long list of projects — totaling USD 47 mn — during a visit to the Sokhna Industrial Zone, where he also witnessed the inauguration of DP World’s USD 85 mn logistics zone.

ALSO IN TODAY’S ISSUE- China could exempt Egyptian goods from duties as early as next month and Saudi Arabia is yet to decide on any potential Red Sea investments.

PSA-

Do you work on Saturdays? If that’s the case, you will be getting this Saturday off — for both the public and private sectors — to mark the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), the Labor Ministry said in a statement following an earlier announcement for public sector workers.

Excited for the grand opening of the even grander GEM? EnterpriseAM has you covered. The first of four weekly special issues about the GEM will land in your inbox this Wednesday, charting the museum’s journey from the launch of a record-breaking international design competition to the final stages of completion and capturing the challenges, milestones, and unwavering ambition that brought it to life.

WEATHER- It’s another sunny day in Cairo, with a high of 29°C and a low of 20°C, according to our favorite weather app.

It’s more or less the same in Alexandria, with a high of 28°C and a low of 19°C.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- An investment in Ras Gamila — or our Red Sea coast all together — is not on Saudi Arabia’s list of priorities at the moment, with the Kingdom more concerned with boosting its own hotel space, Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb said yesterday. The nation remains undecided on any potential Red Sea investments, the minister said. This comes as the Madbouly government works to replicate the success of Ras El Hekma, seeking fresh Gulf investments to develop more tourism projects across the country.

REMEMBER- According to unconfirmed reports out last year, Saudi Arabia’s Ajlan & Bros Holding had filed an offer to the Madbouly government to secure a land plot at Sharm El Sheikh’s Ras Gamila to set up ten hotels with 3k keys in the first phase of a bigger development plan. However, the government said at the time that it will not study any offers for the land ahead of the appointment of an international advisor.

#2- Attention, expats: Egyptians residing abroad can now open local bank accounts with Banque Misr or the National Bank of Egypt under the central bank and Foreign Ministry’s newly-launched Open Your Account in Egypt initiative, according to a statement. Expats can visit Egyptian embassies and consulates abroad to fill out the necessary paperwork to set up their Egyptian bank accounts.

#3- Brokerage firms will soon be allowed to operate as liquidity providers, authorized agents, and market makers, under amendments now being finalized by the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA), Mohamed Ayad, chief communication officer at the FRA, told EnterpriseAM. The draft decree, which is still under consultation with market participants, will be issued “very soon” pending FRA Chairman Mohamed Farid’s sign-off. The move aims to enhance market efficiency and competitiveness rather than simply boost turnover. “As a regulator, our goal is to make sure the market has all the mechanisms needed to stay competitive,” Ayad said.

The incentives at play: The authority is mulling incentives for market makers and liquidity providers through reduced charges on EGX and Misr Clearing services while keeping contributions to the Investor Protection Fund in place.

What this means on the ground: A market maker keeps trading active by constantly posting buy and sell prices. A liquidity provider steps in when demand is thin to keep trade moving, while an authorized agent can help issuers support liquidity in their own shares. Together, these roles are meant to make trading smoother, narrow price gaps, and steady daily volumes.

IN PARALLEL- The FRA is preparing regs to license credit rating agencies for carbon credit certificates, a step toward establishing a regulated voluntary carbon market. Ayad said the move is intended to build investor confidence and prevent greenwashing, ensuring certificates comply with FRA standards and can be traded transparently under the watchdog's oversight.

DATA POINT-

Egypt’s economy ranked 18th among the world’s largest economies based on purchasing power parity in 2025, according to data from the International Monetary Fund. It represents around 1.14% of global output, ranking second in the Arab world, behind Saudi Arabia.

HAPPENING TOMORROW-

BEBA will host Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk and Investment Minister Hassan El Khatib tomorrow for aworking early dinner at Sheraton Cairo Hotel. The conversation with the two senior members of the cabinet’s economic team will be followed by a Q&A session.

** DID YOU KNOW that we cover Saudi Arabia and the UAE?

** Were you forwarded this email? Tap or click here to get your own copy delivered every weekday before 7am Cairo time — without charge.

Missed this week’s Inside Industry? In our weekly vertical exploring all things industry and manufacturing, we looked at Russia’s USD 5 bn industrial zone in Egypt, which is set to break ground in 2026. Check out the story here.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

All eyes are on US-Asia ties this morning, as the US and China look closer to agreeing a truce on tariffs that would do away with the US’ 100% tariff on Chinese imports and delay China’s rare earth export controls. US officials say a framework has already been hashed out for US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to ratify when they meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Thursday. (Reuters | Bloomberg | Financial Times | Wall Street Journal)

Trump is still covering his bases with agreements with other Southeast Asia partners that will relax trade barriers and expand rare earth elements’ access for the US. The agreements with Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia comes as the US looks to diversify its critical minerals supply chains. (Reuters | Bloomberg)

In M&A news, Swiss pharma firm Novartis is acquiring rare disease drugmaker Avidity for USD 12 bn — its largest acquisition yet. (Bloomberg | WSJ)

AND- The latest on the Louvre heist: French police arrested two suspects they say could be related to the theft of bns worth of jewels from Paris’ Louvre Museum last week. (Guardian | Reuters)

*** It’s Blackboard day: We have our weekly look at the business of education in Egypt, from pre-K through the highest reaches of higher ed.

In today’s issue: We look at the influx of German public schools soon to open their doors for students as part of efforts to expand international partnerships in education.

Tags:

Saudi Arabia What We're Tracking Today

From October 12–16, Somabay hosted the Somabay World Cup for the first time in Egypt, welcoming 173 participants from 19 countries to its signature Red Sea course. The tournament spotlighted Egypt’s growing presence on the global golf map, set against Somabay’s year-round sunshine, luxury resorts, and world-class sports and leisure scene.

Trade

China eyes duties exemption for Egyptian exports

Egyptian goods could be entering China dutyfree as early as the end of November, as China continues to boost diplomatic and economic relations with African nations, unnamed government sources told Al B orsa. The news follows Chinese Ambassador Liao Liqiang’s comments on Thursday that the world’s second most populous nation was studying exempting Egyptian exports from import duties, according to a Trade Ministry statement.

(Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

The move will play a big role in rebalancing Egypt’s trade relationship with the world’s factory, along with bolstering exports and supporting USD investment flows, Cairo Chamber of Commerce’s Exporters Division head Ahmed Zaki told EnterpriseAM. Chinese exports to Egypt outnumbered those going the other way by 29x, with Egypt exporting only USD 578 mn worth of goods last year, compared to China’s USD 16.8 bn, according to the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry. State statistics agency Capmas’ count has Chinese imports at a slightly smaller USD 15.7 bn and Egyptian exports roughly the same.

China is working to give no-tariff access to all of the 53 African nations it has diplomatic relations with, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at the opening of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in June. The scrapping of tariffs across the whole continent extends its existing policy for least developed countries to include middle-income nations, including Egypt, while adding additional support to least developed countries.

We already know that Chinese companies ♥️ Egypt with over 200 players present in the China-Egypt Teda industrial zone, investing a combined USD 3 bn and creating over 70k direct and indirect jobs. The Chinese side has expressed interest in expanding the area allocated for the zone to house more projects.

Egypt needs to set a clear plan to increase exports over the coming five years, Zaki said, adding that this should happen as the country expands industrial investments and pushes Chinese factories to relocate to Egypt to take advantage of trade agreements with Africa, Arab, and European countries.

REMEMBER- Egypt wants to double Chinese investment to USD 16 bn over the next four years.

Tags:

economy Egypt-China relations industry trade

Logistics

DP World inaugurates USD 85 Sokhna Logistics Park

Emirati port operator DP World inaugurated its USD 85 mn Sokhna Logistic Park in the Sokhna Industrial Zone, marking a strategic step in Egypt’s efforts to position itself as a regional hub for logistics services and global trade, according to a cabinet statement. The first phase of the project has begun operations, while the second will go online in 3Q 2026, once both are operational the zone will create 300 jobs.

(Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

REMEMBER- The company broke ground on the 300k sqm logistics zone in November 2023 after inking a construction agreement with the Suez Canal Economic Zone’s Main Development Company (MDC) in August 2022.

A look into what the logistics zone is offering: The project includes a bonded warehouse for container storage and a duty-paid warehouse for goods storage. The logistics zone also offers real-time cargo tracking systems, on-site customs processing, and an integrated electronic customer service platform.

SOUND SMART- Bonded warehouses are government-authorized facilities that store goods for a limited time without being subject to duties, taxes, or customs fees. They’re particularly useful for temporary storage of goods moving internationally. While a duty-paid warehouse is exactly as it sounds, a facility where goods are stored after their customs have been paid.

Which industries can utilize the logistics park? The logistics zone will support key sectors such as raw materials, packaging, agriculture, electronics, building material, textiles, cars, spare parts, and electric vehicles.

What they said: “Our goal is to achieve seamless integration across supply chains to boost trade flows, support exports, create new jobs, and drive economic growth forward,” DP World CEO Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem said.

More to come from the Emirati company: DP World plans to replicate its smart rail transport model implemented in India in Egypt within the next 12 months, as part of its broader strategy to expand into developing Egypt’s rail infrastructure, Bin Sulayem said.

Tags:

DP World logistics

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Manufacturing

Madbouly inaugurates over USD 47 mn-worth of projects in Sokhna

Some USD 47 mn-worth of new projects in the Sokhna Industrial Zone kicked off operations yesterday in the presence of Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly.

#1- Turkish building materials manufacturer Ado Group inaugurated its USD 15mn PVC window and door manufacturing factory. Trial operations kicked off in August. Output will serve both local and regional markets.

(Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

The details: The 55.1k sqm factory has an annual production capacity of 15k tons of PVC windows — door production will launch in January with an annual capacity of 75k doors. The first phase of production will create around 100 direct jobs. Local components will make up 90% of input.

It might be the first time we hear Ado’s name in the local market, but we don’t think it will be the last, with company CEO Emre Aksoy describing the plant as “the first step in the group’s long-term investment plan in Egypt.”

READ MORE- We dive deeper into the influx of Turkish investments coming our way in an Inside Industry published earlier this year. Check it out here.

#2- Homegrown Punalu for Plastic and Wood Industries inaugurated its USD 12 mnfactory for the production of artificial marble, eco-friendly wood-plastic composite panels, and UPVC doors and windows. The 20k sqm facility has a production capacity of 14 tons per day, capacity will expand to 56 tons per day once all production lines are fully operational. The project will create over 100 jobs in its first phase.

We knew this was coming: General manager and co-founder Zaher Gamal over the summer told EnterpriseAM that the company is investing USD 10 mn to set up its factory. At the time he told us that the company aims to scale up its production capacity to 90 tons per day by adding new product lines and around 20 production lines by the end of 2026, bringing total investments to USD 200 mn amid rising local and regional demand.

#3- Local manufacturer Prime Verde for Bags and Paper Industries has opened the doors to its USD 7.5 mn paper sacks production factory. The 10.5k sqm facility’s output will be used in packaging cement and other building materials locally. It has a production capacity of 140 mn bags a year and will create 120 jobs once fully operational later this month. It kicked off trial operations in May.

#4- A Chinese metalworks manufacturer inaugurated its USD 4.5 mn steel pipes andmetal furniture production factory. The 25k sqm facility has an annual output of 100k tons of stainless steel pipes, 4.8k tons of stainless steel sheets, and 2.4k tons of metal furniture.

#5- Kemet Industries launched a USD 4 mn ethanol plant, which produces high-purity ethanol using locally-sourced sugarcane and beet molasses. The 1.6k sqm facility has an annual capacity of 2 mn liters and targets unmet local demand for pharma- and lab-grade ethanol.

#6- Sinai Medical Supply opened a USD 4 mn nitrile glove factory with an annual production capacity of 60 mn gloves. The 1.2k sqm facility employs 100 workers and aims to localize medical glove manufacturing, reduce imports, and boost exports.

It wasn’t just new factories opening their doors and kicking off production, yesterday also saw Egypt Anode’s Ain Sokhna plant resume production after a two-year hiatus. The Egyptian Anode Blocks Company (Egypt Anode), a subsidiary of state-owned Metallurgical Industries Holding, has reopened its Ain Sokhna plant as it undergoes a five-year USD 20 mn rehabilitation under an agreement with global oil and gas giant BP.

The plant had halted operations in July 2023 due to technical issues. The factory restarted production with a single production line — with a capacity of 150k tons — the second line will be ready early next year and will double production.

The move is part of a government initiative to revive and restructure idle factories. A government source told us in December that the government is mulling reopening 12k stalled factories, approving immediate reopenings and waiving accumulated penalties for previously operational facilities, as part of an initiative to streamline administrative hurdles in the industry and support the sector.

Tags:

China Manufacturing Suez Canal Economic Zone Turkey

EARNINGS WATCH

SODIC’s bottom line up 150% y-o-y in 9M 2025

Real estate giant SODIC reported a 150% y-o-y increase in net income in the first nine months of 2025 to EGP 2.4 bn, driven by higher deliveries and an increase in revenues, according to the company's latest ear nings release (pdf).

(Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

The developer’s revenues rose 69% y-o-y to EGP 10.6 bn in 9M 2025, driven mainly by deliveries in its West Cairo projects, which accounted for 77% of delivered value during the period, while East Cairo contributed 22%.

SODIC delivered 908 units during the nine-month period, up from 755 units in 9M 2024, reflecting steady construction progress and sustained demand across its residential portfolio. West Cairo contributed 696 of these deliveries, while projects in East Cairo accounted for the remaining 212 units.

Tags:

earnings earnings watch real estate SODIC

LAST NIGHT’S TALK SHOWS

GEM takes over the airwaves

Talk shows zeroed in on the highly anticipated opening of the Grand EgyptianMuseum (GEM) last night and we don’t expect the nation’s talking heads to shift their attention away from the event anytime soon.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, 1 November, 7:30pm sharp, which is when El Sora’s Lamees El Hadidi says (watch, runtime: 6:22) the festivities will begin. The event will wrap up around 9pm and will showcase “the power and grandeur of Egyptian civilization.”

Tourists flock in for the opening: Hotel room occupancy rate currently stands at 70% and is expected to reach 95% over the coming days due to the large number of bookings, Tourism Chamber VP Nasser Turk told El Hadidi (watch, runtime: 3:35).

You may want to start planning your upcoming trip to the museum, which will showcase 15k never-before-displayed artifacts, former director general of the museum Tarek Tawfik told El Hekaya’s Amr Adib (watch, runtime: 2:38).

Tags:

Grand Egyptian Museum LAST NIGHT’S TALK SHOWS

Also on our Radar

Nahdet Misr to set up USD 100 mn waste-to-energy plant?

RENEWABLES-

Arab Contractors subsidiary Nahdet Misr plans to build a USD 100 mn waste-to-energy plant in Qalyubia that will generate 62 MW of power per hour, Al Mal reports. About 54 MW will be supplied to the national grid. The facility will process 2k tons of waste daily and is set to be completed within three years in partnership with local and international firms.

(Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

CAPITAL MARKETS-

Asset manager Evolve Investment Holding plans to launch four to five new gold investment funds in Egypt in partnership with financial institutions, provided it gets the go-ahead from the Financial Regulatory Authority, CEO Sameh Eltorgoman told Cairo Weekend’s Zeina Soufan (watch, runtime: 15:17). The move comes as demand for gold investment funds “has exceeded expectations,” the CEO said. The company currently manages EGP 3 bn in total assets through its four existing gold investment funds and expects this figure to reach EGP 10 bn by the end of 2026 with the launch of additional funds.

EXPANSION-

The National Bank of Egypt is looking into expanding its footprint in Saudi Arabia with several more branches to better serve its Saudi and Egyptian customers in the Kingdom, CEO Mohamed El Etreby told Asharq Business (watch, runtime: 1:08).

REMEMBER- The move follows the inauguration of the state-owned lender’s first branch in Riyadh earlier this month after obtaining the Saudi Central Bank’s approval to operate in the kingdom.

REAL ESTATE-

#1- Madinet Masr launched its EGP 11 bn residential project Elm Tree Park, with expected sales of around EGP 20 bn, the company said in a statement (pdf). The 476k sqm project housed in its Sarai development will include 2.2k residential units — including apartments, villas, and townhouses. The developer also introduced flexible payment plans starting at EGP 5.1k per month to attract a wider customer base.

#2- Our friends at Somabay inked an agreement with construction firm EDECS to carry out the construction of the second phase of its marina expansion, according to a press release (pdf). The expansion aims to boost the marina’s area by 72.1k cubic meters, expand its capacity to 260 yachts, and enhance infrastructure and visitor facilities.

NBFIS-

Valu has renewed its partnership with Amazon Egypt, offering financing solutions for Amazon shoppers, according to a statement. “Through this renewed collaboration, Valu and Amazon aim to provide access, convenient service, and tangible value for their customers,” Valu CEO Walid Hassouna said.

DEBT WATCH-

Emirates NBD extended over EGP 20 bn in credit facilities to Elsewedy Electric to fund its expansion plans in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, according to a statement from the banking group. The financing, arranged by Emirates NBD teams across the three markets, will back Elsewedy’s regional projects in power, manufacturing, and infrastructure.

Tags:

ALSO ON OUR RADAR Amazon banking capital markets debt EBRD Elsewedy Electric Emirates NBD Evolve Investment Holding Fawry gold Madinet Masr Manufacturing Nahdet Misr non-banking financial services real estate renewables ValU

PLANET FINANCE

Cooling US inflation makes the case for Fed rate cuts

Softer US inflation boosts case for Fed rate cuts: The US’ core consumer price index (CPI)(pdf) rose just 0.2% m-o-m and 3.0% y-o-y in September, its slowest pace in three months and 0.1 percentage points below Wall Street’s estimates on both measures, Bloomberg reported on Friday. The report is “tepid enough to seal the deal for a 25-bp rate cut later this month, and another one in December,” economists Anna Wong and Chris G. Collins noted.

Headline inflation showed a similar picture, increasing 0.3% m-o-m and 3% y-o-y, also coming in just shy of expectations by 0.1 percentage points.

The moderation in prices was primarily driven by softer services and shelter costs. Housing costs saw their smallest increase since early 2021, with owners’ equivalent rent — a component that accounts for roughly a quarter of the CPI — rising just 0.1%. Goods inflation also eased amid a decline in used car prices. Still, services prices (excluding housing and energy) — a measure the Fed watches closely — remained firm, signaling sticky underlying pressures.

Uneven impact: The Fed’s Beige Book noted rising input costs across industries, though the effect is varied. Companies like Procter & Gamble reported minimal impact, while others — including O’Reilly Automotive — responded by raising prices. Tariff-exposed categories such as apparel and furnishings saw sharper gains, with apparel prices climbing at their fastest pace in a year.

Growing tariff concerns: While the impact of tariffs has been milder than expected, economists warn of renewed price pressures as President Trump’s latest duties on household goods take effect. Firms have so far absorbed most cost increases but are likely to pass them on to consumers soon as margins tighten, Pantheon Macroeconomics’ Oliver Allen told Bloomberg. “We anticipate a cumulative shock from tariffs totaling 0.8 percentage points by early 2026,” EY-Parthenon’s chief economist Gregory Daco told Reuters.

AND- US government shutdown delayed the report and threatens future data. While economists are confident in the September data, which was collected before the shutdown, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has not collected new data since, and a White House-affiliated account stated there will “likely NOT be an inflation release next month for the first time in history.”

ALSO FROM PLANET FINANCE- Gold prices shed USD 138.8 per ounce last week, closing on Friday at USD 4.1k, Bloomberg reported on Saturday. The biggest weekly dip since 2013 — and one of the largest ever in USD terms — followed a period of record highs driven by frantic retail buying. The outlook is still bullish, as analysts and investors see the decline as a “healthy correction” and a “buy the dip” window for central banks and physical buyers.

MARKETS THIS MORNING-

Japan’s Nikkei is leading Asian markets’ gains this morning, up 2.1% in early trading after breaking the 50k level for the first time, ahead of Trump’s meeting with Prime Minister Takaichi this week. Meanwhile, Wall Street futures are in the green ahead of an anticipated Fed rate cut and a week of Big Tech earnings.

EGX30	38,102	+1.1% (YTD: +28.1%)
USD (CBE)	Buy 47.45	Sell 47.59
USD (CIB)	Buy 47.50	Sell 47.60
Interest rates (CBE)	21.00% deposit	22.00% lending
Tadawul	11,593	-0.2% (YTD: -3.7%)
ADX	10,202	+0.1% (YTD: +8.3%)
DFM	6,066	+0.8% (YTD: +17.6%)
S&P 500	6,792	+0.8% (YTD: +15.5%)
FTSE 100	9,646	+0.7% (YTD: +18.0%)
Euro Stoxx 50	5,675	+0.1% (YTD: +15.9%)
Brent crude	USD 66.08	+0.2%
Natural gas (Nymex)	USD 3.37	+2.0%
Gold	USD 4,100	-0.9%
BTC	USD 115,249	+3.2% (YTD: +23.2%)
S&P Egypt Sovereign Bond Index	950.90	+0.1% (YTD: +22.3%)
S&P MENA Bond & Sukuk	152.49	0.0% (YTD: +9.0%)
VIX (Volatility Index)	16.37	-5.4% (YTD: -5.7%)

THE CLOSING BELL-

The EGX30 rose 1.1% at yesterday’s close on turnover of EGP 6.2 bn (34.3% above the 90-day average). Regional investors were the sole net sellers. The index is up 28.1% YTD.

In the green: Juhayna (+7.4%), Emaar Misr (+6.9%), and E-finance (+6.3%).

In the red: Mopco (-0.9%), Ibnsina Pharma (-0.8%), and Egypt Aluminum (-0.7%).

Tags:

Financial Markets Planet Finance

Our weekly deep dive into education in Egypt, from K-12 to post-secondary.

Published every Monday in EnterpriseAM.

Read Blackboard

BLACKBOARD

Egypt launches the first of 100 German public schools

The academic year kicked off with the opening of the first-ever Egyptian-German public school, which is set to be the first of 100 German schools to be opened across the country as part of efforts to expand international partnerships in education. The opening of the school in Sixth of October comes under an initiative by the Education Ministry in partnership with Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, German Embassy Cairo, Goethe-Institut, and the German Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA).

(Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

German will be taught as the first foreign language, with students also studying Arabic and English or French as a second foreign language. The schools will offer a K-12 integrated educational system aligned with both international standards and Egypt’s national curriculum. Students will follow Egyptian programs alongside German curricula designed to strengthen critical thinking, personal development, and multilingual communication.

These schools are part of a broader plan to expand Egypt’s portfolio of dual-certification programs with leading education systems worldwide, a source from the Education Ministry told EnterpriseAM. Upon graduation, students will receive both the Egyptian General Secondary Certificate (Thanaweya Amma) or Egyptian Baccalaureate and an official German language certificate from the Goethe-Institut. This dual certification will qualify them to pursue higher education or vocational training opportunities in Egypt or Germany.

Despite the international focus, the ministry is keen to ensure that Egypt’s national identity remains central to the curriculum. All schools under the initiative are required to teach social studies and religion alongside core subjects. Arabic will remain the main language of instruction, while science and mathematics will be taught in English starting from second grade.

The schools will adopt an interactive education model, which integrates activities to deepen understanding, develop digital skills, promote environmental awareness, and encourage healthy lifestyles. The collaboration will also see student and teacher exchange programs with Germany to provide direct exposure to the German education model.

The launch of the first Egyptian-German public school marks “a real starting point” for helping children and young people open new educational horizons, Goethe-Institut North Africa and Middle East Regional Director Lilli Kobler told EnterpriseAM. The Goethe-Institut is responsible for training teachers and improving their pedagogical skills, Kobler added. The institute also works with education specialists on environmental awareness, cultural and artistic education, and digital learning — and oversees the design and selection of German language curricula.

Introducing German to technical schools is part of the plan, following an MoU inked between the Education Ministry and Goethe-Institut last Thursday, according to an Education Ministry statement. Under the agreement, German will be introduced to a select group of technical schools, which will be expanded upon in the future in accordance with the needs of the Egyptian and German labor markets. German language proficiency certificates from the schools will qualify graduates for work in Germany.

The launch of these schools is part of the government’s larger plan to expand international education partnerships and introduce dual-certificate programs for Egyptian graduates at both pre-university and university levels. It runs in parallel with other partnerships, such as the recent Egypt-Italy collaboration in technical and applied technology education.

The government has also been working with France to significantly increase the number of schools teaching French as a first language, aiming to push them to 100 by 2030. Similarly, Egypt and Italy agreed to introduce Italian as an elective second language in public schools. Public school students will also be able to choose between French, German, or Italian as elective second languages from seventh grade, while new teacher training programs are being rolled out in cooperation with institutions such as the Goethe-Institut and other cultural centers.

Tags:

Blackboard Education Education Ministry Egypt-Germany relations

CALENDAR

OCTOBER

28 October (Tuesday): BEBA’s working dinner with Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk and Investment Minister Hassan El Khatib.

October: The third iteration of the Export Smart Exhibition and Conference.

October: The tenth session of the Egyptian-Lebanese Joint Higher Committee.

Mid-October: Capmas to publish the findings of its 2023-2024 income and expenditure survey.

NOVEMBER

1 November (Saturday): The official opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum.

3 November (Monday): S&P Global to release PMI data for September.

9-11 November (Sunday-Tuesday): The sixth edition of the TransMEA 2025 forum and exhibition, Egypt International Exhibition Center.

10 November (Monday): Capmas expected to release inflation data for October.

16-19 November (Sunday-Wednesday): Cairo ICT 2025, Egypt International Exhibition Center.

20 November (Thursday): Monetary Policy Committee meeting.

23-25 November (Sunday-Tuesday): NEBU Expo 2025 gold and jewelry exhibition, Egypt International Exhibitions Center, New Cairo.

November: Egypt to join the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program.

November: The Conference on Early Recovery, Reconstruction, and Development in Gaza.

DECEMBER

1-4 December: Egypt Defence Expo (Monday-Thursday), Egypt International Exhibition Center.

4-7 December (Thursday-Sunday): Egy Stitch & Tex Expo 2025, Cairo International Conference Center.

15 December (Monday): Neo Gen PropTech and Sustainable Smart Cities Conference, The St. Regis Hotel New Capital

25 December: (Thursday): Monetary Policy Committee meeting.

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

Mid-2025: EGX launches sustainability index.

December: Germany’s North Rhine-Westphala business delegation to land in Egypt.

3Q 2025: Nasr Automotive begins locally manufacturing passenger cars.

3Q 2025: Polaris Parks to finalize contracts for two new industrial zones in the new capital and Sadat City.

Mid-2025: The Administrative Capital for Urban Developments to roll out the second phase of offering industrial plots to investors

2H 2025: Potential visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Egypt

4Q 2025: The beginning of construction works on China’s State Grid two solar projects.

4Q 2025: GB Auto starts assembling one of China’s Great Wall Motor models in 4Q 2025.

4Q 2025-1Q 2026: Kasrawy Group to launch first Avatr EV models in Egypt.

2025: The InterAcademy Partnership assembly.

2025: Nile Basin States Summit, Cairo, Egypt.

2025: Release of the government’s Startup Charter document.

Before 2025-end: The government will launch two ro-ro shipping lines with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

2026

Early 2026: Passenger operations on the New Administrative Capital–Nasr City monorail scheduled to begin.

1Q 2026: Trial operations for the Ain Sokhna–Sixth of October section of Egypt’s first high-speed rail line scheduled to begin.

1 January: European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to fully come into effect.

10-12 February (Tuesday-Thursday): Gitex Global’s AI Everything Middle East & Africa Summit

15 March 2026: IMF to hold its seventh review of Egypt’s USD 8 bn EFF arrangement.

30 March - 1 April: Egypt International Energy Conference and Exhibition 2026 (EGYPES)

May 2026: End of extension for developers on 15% interest rates for land installment payments

15 September 2026: IMF to hold its eighth review of Egypt’s USD 8 bn EFF arrangement.

2H 2026: Operations at Deli Glass Co’s new USD 70 mn glassware factory kick off.

2027

20 January-7 February: Egypt to host the African Games.

April 2027: Tenth of Ramadan dry port and logistics hub to begin operations.

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

2027: Egypt to host EBRD’s annual meetings for 2027.

2027: Egypt-EU Summit 2027

End of 2027: Trial operations at the Dabaa nuclear power plant expected to take place.

September 2028: First unit of the Dabaa nuclear power plant begins operations.

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