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Monday, 26 Jan 2026

What We’re Tracking Today
The Big Story Today
Coffee With
Pharma
Debt Watch
Kudos
Also On Our Radar
Planet Finance
Blackboard
Calendar

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Today at a glance

1

The Big Story Today

Government explores expat sweeteners to soften the mobile customs hit.
2

Coffee With

Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Egypt President Kamal Abdel Malek on why localization is the only answer to price competitiveness.
3

PHARMA

EBRD extends EGP 1.3 bn green financing to Ibnsina Pharma.
4

DEBT WATCH

FinMin wagers on stability with return to long-term debt and zero-coupon bonds.
5

WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TODAY

Wind turbine localization in the cards?
6

PLANET FINANCE

Mining stocks are winning as AI boosts demand for metals.
7

BLACKBOARD

Egypt looks to private management to fix the investment decline in schools.

Monday, 26 Jan 2026

What We’re Tracking Today
The Big Story Today
Coffee With
Pharma
Debt Watch
Kudos
Also On Our Radar
Planet Finance
Blackboard
Calendar
1

WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TODAY

China’s Sany Group eyes establishing Egypt’s first wind turbine factory

Good morning, folks. It’s a pretty busy morning in local business news as we hit the midpoint of this shortened workweek.

We lead today’s issue with an exclusive that the government is looking into new customs incentives for Egyptians abroad following backlash over scrapped mobile phone import exemptions. The proposed incentives include a one-phone quota annually and airport installment plans for customs fees.

Also in today’s issue: A conversation with Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Egypt President Kamal Abdel Malek; The Finance Ministry plans to return to long-term debt and zero-coupon bonds; Ibnsina Pharma secures EGP 1.3 bn in green financing from the EBRD.

***

WISH THIS MORNING’S ISSUE was a podcast? We’ve got you. Tap or click here to listen to Morning Drive, a 10-minute version of today’s issue crafted for you to enjoy with your morning coffee, while getting the kids ready for school, or while stomping around the house wondering where the [redacted] you left your [redacted] reading glasses.
***

AND- Tap or clickhere to take our annual EnterpriseAM Executive Sentiment Survey and let us know what you think about:

  • Whether business conditions will improve in 2026;
  • The biggest issue your business faces today;
  • What you think AI will mean for your company;
  • Where you see the EGP vs the USD this year;
  • And more…

^^ We’ll have the results in an upcoming issue.

Watch this space

RENEWABLES — Localization for wind turbines on the horizon? Chinese heavy equipment manufacturer Sany Group is planning to establish Egypt’s first wind turbine factory, according to a statement from the Electricity Ministry. The private sector heavyweight’s move to localize wind energy components follows similar announcements from other Chinese companies for batteries and solar power components.

Why it matters: Wind localization is an industrial tier above solar. Unlike solar panel manufacturing, which can be done with relatively small production lines on a factory floor, wind turbine components due to their sheer size and weight require an extensive factory footprint and heavy-duty precision engineering for blades, towers, and nacelles. If Sany Group follows through with its plan, this would mark one of the country’s most ambitious industrial projects.

EGP watch

EGP hits 20-month high against the greenback: The EGP gained 9 piasters against the USD to close at a 20-month high yesterday — the USD was changing hands at EGP 47.04-47.14 in major state-owned banks — thanks to fresh hot money inflows. The USD / EGP exchange rate has been fluctuating close to the EGP 47 mark since the start of the year on the back of foreign investors and funds doubling down on local debt instruments.

** DID YOU KNOW that we cover Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the MENA-IndiaCorridor?

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

Happening today

The Swiss-Egyptian Economic Forum gets underway this morning at the Dusit Thani in Lakeview. On the agenda for the forum, which is running under the banner “Public-Private Dialogue”: Swiss-Egyptian partnerships in textiles, healthcare, engineering, and manufacturing. Key members of the cabinet economic team are also due to attend. Tap or click here for the agenda (pdf).

Swiss investment in Egypt is approaching USD 2 bn, with USD 600 mn of that in just the last two years, the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Egypt said in its Swiss Business Impact Egypt 2025 report (pdf) released in the run-up to the forum. The appeal of Egypt? A lot of it has to do with exports, with 45% of Swiss companies in the country using their Egyptian factories as hubs to export to neighboring markets.

** Want more? We sat down with Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Egypt President Kamal Abdel Malek for today’s issue to find out why Swiss companies have chosen to stick in Egypt through recent volatility, how they’re working to localize industries, and more. Our interview is in the newswell below.

Happening this week

#1- AmCham’a flagship real estate conference kicks off tomorrow at the Nile Ritz Carlton, with registration starting at 8:30am.

Patrick, our editor-in-chief, is moderating a panel on the market for real estate as an investment, with appearances by our friend Ibrahim El Missiri from Somabay, alongside Hazem Badran from Palm Hills Developments, and Tamer Nasser of City Edge Developments. Tap or click here to check out the full agenda orvisit this link to register.

#2- Our fellow photo nerds in the UAE will want to circle 29 January to 4 February on their calendars. This year’s Xposure, the global celebration of visual storytelling, features a who’s who of talented photographers — including our friend Romany Hafez, whose haunting analog work explores memory, presence, and sacred spaces. Romany will be giving a talk on Saturday, 31 January headlined Between Memory and Light. Don’t miss it if you love black and white photography as much as we do.

Data point

USD 11 bn — that’s how much FDI Egypt attracted in 2025, according to preliminary data from the UN Trade and Development’s Global Investment Trends Monitor report (pdf). The figure cements Egypt’s position as Africa’s top investment destination for the fourth consecutive year, even as total FDI flows to the continent dropped by approximately one-third.

PSA-

WEATHER- It’s starting to warm up in Cairo today, with a high of 24°C and a low of 11°C, according to our favorite weather app.

It’s a similar story in Alexandria, with a high of 23°C and a low of 11°C.

The big story abroad

It’s a quiet Monday morning in the global business press, with a single story dominating the headlines — another fatal shooting of a US citizen by federal agents in Minneapolis, the second of its kind this month. The resulting backlash from Democrats and wavering enthusiasm from Republicans signals the possibility of another government shutdown, as well as raising the stakes for the year’s midterm elections.

AND IN MARKETS- Gold hits fresh high: Gold jumped past the USD 5k mark for the very first time as investors and central banks look to the safe haven asset amid geopolitical tensions. The metal has been steadily rising for some time now, jumping 8% last week alone, its largest spike since the 2008 financial crisis.

*** 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 how Egypt is looking to private management to fix the investment decline in schools.

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It is a destination designed for athletes, teams, and partners, where sport, lifestyle, and community align, and where sport lives beyond the game.

2

The Big Story Today

Egypt mulls relief measures following expat backlash over scrapped mobile phone import exemptions

The Madbouly government is weighing new customs incentives for Egyptians abroad to ease backlash against its crackdown on mobile phone exemptions — but rolling back the policy itself is “off the table,” three senior government officials tell EnterpriseAM.

So, what *might* be on the table? Proposals include allowing expats with permanent residency abroad to bring in one additional phone annually for work purposes. To soften the 38.8% duty hit, officials are also exploring airport-based installment plans for customs fees. That could open up a new sales channel for consumer finance platforms and e-wallets.

Why the hard line? The government says the stricter controls are essential to choke off a smuggling channel that has cost the state dearly. Our sources tell us that nearly USD 1.3 bn worth of phones entered the country outside official channels in 2025. The result? Customs revenue on legitimately imported handsets clocked in at just USD 210 mn last year. “This prompted a study on imposing full protection to allow local manufacturers to scale up their investments and deepen the industry,” one of the sources said.

SMART POLICY- The policy angle doesn’t end there — officials are pushing to localize handset assembly. Fifteen global brands now produce phones locally, including Samsung, Oppo, and Xiaomi, with output hitting 20 mn units in 2025. Officials see export channels growing substantially this year.

BACKGROUND- The personal import exemption expired earlier this month, and officials are now planning to block the activation of handsets whose IMEI (think: “serial number for your phone”) isn’t registered in a new database maintained by the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.

So, how does it work now? Expats home for a visit can call a state-run short number to claim a 90-day exemption from customs duties if they want to use a phone bought abroad with a local SIM. Expats and tourists alike can use their foreign SIM in a handset purchased outside of Egypt without triggering taxes and customs. Tourists can also purchase an approved tourism line and use that SIM in their foreign handset.

What’s next? A final decision on any sweeteners is pending financial and tax impact studies, we’re told.

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

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3

Coffee With

Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Egypt President Kamal Abdel Malek on why localization is the only answer to price competitiveness

EnterpriseAM sat down with Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Egypt President Kamal Abdel Malek (LinkedIn) just before the Swiss-Egyptian Economic Forum kicks off today to find out why Swiss companies have chosen to stay in Egypt through recent volatility, how they’re working to localize industries, and more. Edited excerpts from our conversation:

EnterpriseAM: Swiss companies have, on average, been present in Egypt for 48 years. Why do Swiss companies seem to be so deeply rooted in the market despite recent volatility?

Kamal Abdel Malek: The secret lies in the nature of Swiss investments, as they’re primarily industrial rather than purely commercial. We operate in sectors that touch citizens’ daily lives — pharma, food (such as baby food), and construction materials. These are long-term investments that don’t exit easily. Additionally, the cost of Egyptian labor following the devaluation has become very attractive and globally competitive, despite the difficult social impact.

EnterpriseAM: Swiss companies are earmarking USD 1.3 bn for expansion in the market. Is this funded by retained earnings or fresh capital?

Kamal Abdel Malek: Let’s be realistic — over the past two years, retained earnings were a primary tool for solving corporate issues. However, the crisis turned into an opening. Headquarters in Switzerland provided loans to their Egyptian branches, and it was wise to reinvest these loans and debts back into the local companies rather than attempting to transfer them abroad during a difficult time. More importantly, we have moved from importing components for local assembly to manufacturing components in Egypt and exporting them to global branches to ensure a sustainable stream of hard currency.

EnterpriseAM: There is an USD 800 mn gap between Swiss export potential to Egypt and the current figure. What is the obstacle standing in the way?

Kamal Abdel Malek: The primary obstacle is price competitiveness. Swiss products are known for quality, but they come at a high price. When Swiss companies find they cannot bridge this gap against competitors (like China and Turkey) based on price, it becomes a clear call for localization. If you cannot export to Egypt at a competitive price, come and manufacture here to benefit from local advantages and close that gap.

EnterpriseAM: How have free trade agreements like Comesa and AfCFTA affected Egypt’s attractiveness as a regional hub?

Kamal Abdel Malek: They are essential factors, but shipping and trade connectivity remain the biggest hurdles. To increase exports to Africa, the solution isn’t just financial subsidies; it’s creating real logistical shipping routes. Swiss companies like MSC are active in this field, but we need a clear air and land connectivity strategy to truly activate these agreements.

EnterpriseAM: What is the maximum local component percentage in Swiss-run complex industries like pharma? And is the quality of local suppliers satisfactory?

Kamal Abdel Malek: Our member companies provide qualification programs for local suppliers to bring them up to uncompromising Swiss standards. In pharma, it is complex due to global supply chains, but we are pushing for Egypt to become a manufacturer of components and a hub for manufacturing technology rather than just packaging. Swiss companies maintain strict oversight and periodic inspections of local suppliers to ensure compliance.

EnterpriseAM: Are inflation targeting and a flexible exchange rate enough to end concerns about repatriating earnings?

Kamal Abdel Malek: Swiss companies don’t look for momentary guarantees; they look for the sustainability of regulatory frameworks and laws. The Swiss accounting system pays taxes on projected earnings in advance every October, so any sudden change in Egyptian tax laws, accounting standards, or exchange rates during the year causes significant disruption. What we need more than anything is the stability of financial legislation.

EnterpriseAM: Which sector will surprise us by 2026? And what is the one obstacle you want removed immediately to attract more investment to that sector?

Kamal Abdel Malek: The renewable energy and waste recycling sector will be the dark horse. Switzerland is very advanced in technology that converts everything into energy or a new product. The obstacle we hope to see removed is regulatory bureaucracy and the overlapping of jurisdictions. The Swiss system operates bottom-up, while in Egypt, a top-down system prevails. Bridging the two requires greater regulatory flexibility.

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

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4

PHARMA

EBRD extends EGP 1.3 bn green financing to Ibnsina Pharma

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has signed an EGP 1.3 bn financing agreement with Ibnsina Pharma, the company said in a disclosure yesterday (pdf). The facility will back a major green logistics expansion by Ibnsina — Egypt’s largest pharmaceutical distributor — and reinforce the growing role of development finance in sustaining capex as elevated local borrowing costs persist.

Under the agreement, the EBRD will fund:

  • Construction of a new warehouse targeting at least an EDGE standard certification.
  • Green capex upgrades, supported by EBRD technical advisory services, including energy audits and resource-efficiency enhancements.
  • Long-term working capital, supporting scale-up across Ibnsina’s distribution network.

Once completed, the warehouse is expected to deliver an annual reduction of 207 tonnes of CO2 emissions, alongside material water savings — a key condition for unlocking this tranche of climate-linked financing.

From equity to debt

The transaction comes one year after the EBRD fully exited its equity stake in Ibnsina. Having supported the EXG-listed company’s growth as a shareholder since 2015, the bank is now backing Ibnsina’s next phase through project-linked debt rather than ownership.

The loan offers Ibnsina favorable repayment terms, and “the long-standing relationship with the EBRD made the due-diligence process swift,” Mohamed Shawky, Ibnsina’s head of investor relations told EnterpriseAM. “We view this facility as an international quality seal. Passing the EBRD’s rigorous due diligence validates our governance, transparency, and operational standards to our stakeholders, Mohsen Mahgoub,” Ibnsina Pharma’s managing director noted in the statement.

Why it matters

The EBRD’s intervention provides long-tenor, EGP-denominated liquidity that allows Ibnsina to continue scaling without compromising balance-sheet stability or delaying capex. The development finance is stepping in to prevent an infrastructure slowdown in a sector where logistics capacity is tightly linked to medicine availability and pricing efficiency.

For Ibnsina, the new warehouse will be part of a network optimization and expansion plan that includes up to 12 new warehouses, aimed at boosting capacity in response to rising volumes and a more diversified revenue base.

The broader picture

The EBRD is also set to extend fresh financing to the manufacturing side of the pharma sector: Minapharm secured board approval earlier this month for a EUR 13.25 mn EBRD facility, denominated and repayable in EGP, the company disclosed last week (pdf). Minapharm will use the loan primarily to refinance existing short- and medium-term debt, while also supporting capex tied to a new production facility and the development of a vocational training academy, underscoring how development finance is being deployed across the pharma value chain.

Egypt remains one of the largest pharmaceutical markets in MENA, driven by population growth and structurally rising healthcare demand. Distribution infrastructure is a critical bottleneck and one that cannot afford underinvestment. By channeling green, local-currency financing into logistics-heavy operators like Ibnsina, EBRD is effectively acting as a capex backstop to ensure that expansion plans remain intact despite tight domestic credit conditions.

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

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5

DEBT WATCH

Egypt’s Finance Ministry wagers on stability with return to long-term debt and zero-coupon bonds

The Finance Ministry plans to issue zero-coupon bonds in early February for the first time in nearly two years, a senior government official told EnterpriseAM. The move comes as the ministry seeks to capitalize on Egypt’s improved credit rating and a broader strategy to diversify debt instruments and reduce debt-servicing burdens, the source said.

Why it matters: The plan is designed to give the state’s finances some more breathing room, with the EGP 35 bn zero-coupon bond program set to have an average maturity of two years — up from the 18-month tenor previously. Because zero-coupon bonds are sold at a discount and pay no periodic interest, the move pushes the state’s debt servicing burden down the line for a whole 24 months. Considering debt service costs consumed over 96% of the state’s budget revenues in the first five months of the fiscal year, you can see why the ministry is making the move.

The ministry also plans to re-issue five-year fixed-rate bonds for the first time since the start of the fiscal year, totaling EGP 45 bn over multiple tranches. This shift to a five-year reflects investor confidence in long-term economic conditions, the source said.

The two planned programs align with a broader strategy to gradually increase average debt maturity to 4.5–5 years, up from the current 1.7 years, to mitigate refinancing risks.The introduction of the programs also coincides with the ministry raising its borrowing target for the third quarter of the fiscal year to EGP 2.7 tn, up from EGP 2.5 tn the quarter before, to meet local obligations.

What’s next? The Finance Ministry will unveil its 2026-2030 public debt strategy by the end of the month, our source told us.

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6

Kudos

EFG Hermes tops LSEG league tables again

Our friends at EFG Hermes defended their crown as MENA’s top ECM bookrunners, ranking number one on LSEG’s league tables in 2025 for the second consecutive year, the firm said in a statement (pdf). The firm notched several regional firsts along the way, including its first-ever sole financial advisory mandate in Saudi Arabia (Jamjoom’s IPO), acting as joint global coordinator on the largest placement in ADX history (Adnoc Gas’s secondary offering), and taking lead roles on the only IPOs in Kuwait (Action Energy) and Oman (Asyad) last year. EFG Hermes Investment Banking advised on 12 ECM transactions in 2025 — double the second-ranked bank by dealcount.

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

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7

ALSO ON OUR RADAR

Investments in Sky Innovo Developments’ flagship New Cairo project double to EGP 16 bn

Sky Innovo Developments doubles down on its Park St Edition investments

UK-based Innovo Group’s real estate arm Sky Innovo Developments’s investments in its flagship Park St Edition project in New Cairo project have reached EGP 16 bn, up from a previously anticipated USD 7 bn investment figure, according to a statement (pdf). The 24.3k sqm mixed-use project has seen strong demand and high sales, reflecting “the growing maturity of the Egyptian market,” Sky Innovo’s Chairman Ayman Hussein said.

One big step towards our efforts to localize the production of soda ash

China National Chemical Engineering Company (CNCEC) will set up a USD 34 mn plant for the manufacture of steel structures and finished pipes used in establishing soda ash production plants under a contract inked with the Suez Canal Economic Zone. The facility will have an annual production capacity of 20k tons of steel structures and 400k inches of pipes.

Soda ash is one of the 23 priority industries that was earmarked for localization in 2024, as the first step of an initiative to localize 152 industries by 2030. To help localize the 23 industries, the government is offering incentives and facilities to attract and facilitate investments.

There’s more: CNCEC plans to set up a USD 250 mn chemical and petrochemical equipment manufacturing plant at Ain Sokhna Port this year. The facility will produce carbon steel, low-alloy steel, stainless steel, composite sheets, and different kinds of containers to supply the petrochemicals, energy, mining, and pharma sectors.

Alexandria Containers sees slight dip in 1H 2025-26 earnings

Alexandria Container and Cargo Handling’s net income fell 2% y-o-y to EGP 3.4 bn during the first half of FY 2025-26, according to the company’s latest unaudited financial statement (pdf). Revenues for the six-month period dipped 4% y-o-y to EGP 3.8 bn, while gross income saw a 6% y-o-y decline to EGP 2.88 bn. Despite the lower financial figures, actual container throughput saw a 5% y-o-y increase during the period.

The company attributed the top and bottom-line decline to a reduction in storage revenues. While handling volumes grew, the drop in storage-related income — often a higher-margin service — weighed on overall profitability.

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

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8

PLANET FINANCE

Mining stocks are winning as AI boosts demand for metals

Mining stocks are riding the AI wave to new heights: The MSCI Metals and Mining Index has notched a nearly 90% gain since the start of 2025, significantly outperforming semiconductors, global banks, and the Magnificent Seven. Demand for metals is increasingly decoupling from traditional economic cycles, driven instead by the boom in AI, EVs and robotics, according to Bloomberg.

Copper leads the charge: Copper has increased 50% over the same period, while analysts are also bullish on aluminum, silver, nickel, and platinum. Copper is increasingly viewed as a strategic asset, with JP Morgan forecasting a refined copper deficit of roughly 330k tons in 2026.

Gold and silver mirrored the bullish trend, benefiting from safe-haven demand amid geopolitical fragmentation and US fiscal policy concerns. Gold reached an all-time high of USD 4.9k per ounce last week, with Goldman Sachs raising its end-2026 forecast to USD 5.4k per ounce. Silver also breached the USD 100 per ounce mark a few days ago as private-sector buyers and emerging-market central banks diversify away from traditional reserve assets.

The high demand changed the reputation of mining stocks from a “boring defensive sleeve” to an “essential portfolio anchor,” Pepperstone Group’s research strategist Dilin Wu told Bloomberg.

The sector remains fundamentally undervalued even now, with the Stoxx 600 Basic Resources index trading at a 20% discount to its long-term forward price-to-book ratio, Bloomberg says. This valuation gap has triggered a “buy over build” trend among industry giants, Morgan Stanley analysts told the business information service, with major transactions, including Anglo American’s acquisition of Teck Resources and a potential Rio Tinto-Glencore merger.

Looking ahead: For 2026, the sector’s momentum will likely be dictated by the gigawatt ceiling — the physical capacity of power grids to handle the AI and energy transition build-out. While downside risks remain from potential economic surprises in China or selling pressure in precious metals, the structural demand from semiconductors and data centers makes it likely that mining stocks will remain the primary market darlings for the foreseeable future.

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

MARKETS THIS MORNING-

It’s looking like a turbulent week for markets as investors brace for the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision later this week and a wave of Big Tech earnings. Asia-Pacific markets are a sea of red this morning, with the Nikkei in the lead after the JPY saw significant gains after the government said it would take steps against speculative moves. It’s more or less the same for US stocks, which are set to open in the red.

EGX30

46,858

+0.9% (YTD: +12.0%)

USD (CBE)

Buy 47.00

Sell 47.14

USD (CIB)

Buy 47.04

Sell 47.14

Interest rates (CBE)

20.00% deposit

21.00% lending

Tadawul

11,268

+1.2% (YTD: +7.4%)

ADX

10,286

-0.2% (YTD: +2.9%)

DFM

6,484

-0.2% (YTD: +7.2%)

S&P 500

6,916

0.0% (YTD: +1.0%)

FTSE 100

10,143

-0.1% (YTD: +2.1%)

Euro Stoxx 50

5,948

-0.1% (YTD: +2.7%)

Brent crude

USD 65.88

+2.8%

Natural gas (Nymex)

USD 5.28

+4.6%

Gold

USD 5,017

+1.4%

BTC

USD 86,810

-2.9% (YTD: -0.8%)

S&P Egypt Sovereign Bond Index

1,006

+0.1% (YTD: +1.3%)

S&P MENA bond & sukuk

151.61

+0.2% (YTD: -0.2%)

VIX (Fear gauge)

16.09

+2.9% (YTD: +7.6%)

THE CLOSING BELL-

The EGX30 rose 0.9% at yesterday’s close on turnover of EGP 6.7 bn (22.5% above the 90-day average). International investors were the sole net buyers. The index is up 12.0% YTD.

In the green: Sidpec (+6.4%), Raya Holding (+6.4%), and Juhayna (+4.9%).

In the red: Credit Agricole (-2.6%), Misr Cement (-2.2%), and Fawry (-1.9%).

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

Published every Monday in EnterpriseAM.

Read Blackboard
9

BLACKBOARD

Egypt looks to private management to fix the investment decline in schools

The Education Ministry seems to be exploring a different strategy to increase private-sector players’ role in the education sector, moving not just to attract investments for new projects, but to hand over the management of official international schools to private operators, a government official tells EnterpriseAM.

The initiative has already been put into action with the transfer of 33 official international schools to private education development and school management company Emerald Education, which took place under an agreement signed in December. Emerald will now handle everything from staffing and procurement to daily administration and the delivery of internationally-accredited curricula.

But while Emerald — and other private players under the same arrangement — have leeway in how to run the schools, that doesn’t apply to fee hikes. Emerald’s new schools under its portfolio will remain committed to the 7% annual cap on fee hikes, our source tells us.

Why this matters

For the state, the move represents a healthy balance between the public and private sectors, we were told. The approach aims to improve management efficiency, support education quality standards, and ease administrative burdens on the Education Ministry, while also maintaining a level of state oversight and regulatory frameworks governing tuition fees and curricula, our source tells us.

Private sector involvement will also support the state’s aim of increasing the number of schools offering internationally-accredited certifications by way of increased investment, which has declined over the past two years, we were told.

The hoped-for increase in private sector interest in education through private-public partnerships should also address regional disparities, with the strategy deliberately aimed at creating fairer access to specialized education beyond the capital, the source added.

And the private sector agrees, but for different reasons. “This move was long overdue,” Private School Owners Association Deputy Chairman Badawy Allam tells EnterpriseAM. He notes that while private education accounts for over 70% of the system in neighboring countries, it sits at just 25% in Egypt. Allam warns that while management handovers are a good start, reigniting major investor interest will require addressing long-standing hurdles like rigid building requirements and the rising cost of land.

By the numbers: State-owned schools outnumber private ones 5x, with the private sector having just 10.4k schools and the state having 54.0k.

These aren’t the only public-private partnerships in education planned for 2026

Some 40 national schools may soon also find new private-sector managers, with the government currently reviewing offers for a set of schools mostly centred around Cairo and Giza. The state’s long-stalled public-private partnership program for schools will also launch next month with 24 schools offered up to investors. The launch could coincide with a set of investment incentives to attract investors to the sector, our source added.

Emerald is also set to lead on managing and developing Japanese schools in the country in partnership with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, with 10 new schools to be added this year to bring the total number to 79. The private education development and school management company has also been tapped to oversee the rollout of a new German school system that will see 100 German schools opened in partnership with the Goethe-Institut and the German Central Agency for Schools Abroad.

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

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CALENDAR

2026

JANUARY

27 January (Tuesday): AmCham Egypt’s Annual Real Estate Conference

FEBRUARY

3 February (Tuesday): S&P Global to release PMI figures for January.

3 February (Tuesday): Capital Markets Summit

10 February (Tuesday): Capmas expected to release inflation data for January.

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

12 February (Thursday): Monetary Policy Committee’s first meeting of 2026.

19 February (Thursday): First day of Ramadan (TBC).

MARCH

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

21 March: (Saturday): Eid El Fitr starts (TBC).

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

APRIL

2 April (Thursday): Monetary Policy Committee’s second meeting of 2026.

12 April (Sunday): Coptic Easter.

25 April (Saturday): Sinai Liberation Day.

MAY

1 May (Friday): Labor Day.

21 May (Thursday): Monetary Policy Committee’s third meeting of 2026.

27-29 May (Wednesday-Friday): Eid El Adha (TBC).

JUNE:

30 June (Tuesday): National holiday in observance of June 30 Revolution (TBC).

JULY

9 July (Thursday): Monetary Policy Committee’s fourth meeting of 2026.

23 July (Thursday): National holiday in observance of Revolution Day (TBC).

AUGUST

20 August (Thursday): Monetary Policy Committee’s fifth meeting of 2026.

26 August (Wednesday): National holiday in observance of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday (TBC).

SEPTEMBER

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

24 September (Thursday): Monetary Policy Committee’s sixth meeting of 2026.

27-29 September (Sunday-Tuesday): Global Conference on Population, Health and Human Development.

OCTOBER

6 October (Tuesday): Armed Forces Day.

29 October (Thursday): Monetary Policy Committee’s seventh meeting of 2026.

DECEMBER

17 December (Thursday): Monetary Policy Committee’s eighth meeting of 2026.

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

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

Early 2026: The government will launch the second package of tax breaks.

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

1Q 2026: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to visit Egypt

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

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.

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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