Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh issued Ministerial Decree No. (196) of 2026 appointing Mr. Saeed Arafa as Assistant Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade for Investment Contracts Affairs. This decree comes within the Ministry’s plan to strengthen the institutional framework and develop the legal and contractual framework related to investment portfolios, while leveraging national expertise to support state efforts to improve the investment climate and enhance the competitiveness of the Egyptian economy.
Mr. Saeed Arafa brings more than 25 years of professional and legal experience in economic legislation, investment regulations, and non-banking financial activities. He has held several key positions, most notably serving as Legal Advisor to the Ministry of Public Business Sector from June 2016 to January 2026. He also currently serves as Legal Advisor to the Egyptian Exchange (EGX).
He previously served as Deputy Assistant Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) for Capital Market Development, and as Director General of Legislation and Regulatory Instructions at FRA for over ten years starting in 2014. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Non-Banking Financial Services Institute. In addition, he has worked as a legal expert at the Chairman’s Office of the Authority, and as a legal researcher in the offices of the Minister of Investment and the Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade.
Mr. Arafa has a strong professional record in drafting, formulating, and reviewing economic legislation, having contributed to the preparation of numerous laws and regulations governing investment, companies, capital markets, and non-banking finance. These include amendments to the Capital Market Law, the Financial Leasing and Factoring Law, the Movable Collateral Law, and the Microfinance Law, as well as the Mortgage Finance Law. He also participated in the committee responsible for preparing the strategic plan of the Union of Arab Securities Authorities for 2016–2020, in addition to contributing to the development of regulations governing state-owned and public business sector companies.
He has also participated in several specialized technical and advisory committees at both the Ministry of Public Business Sector and the Financial Regulatory Authority. He chaired and contributed to committees related to asset management, corporate governance, investor protection in non-banking financial activities, and dispute resolution. Furthermore, he participated in preparing several partnership agreements between state-owned companies and the private sector in various investment projects.
At the academic level, Mr. Saeed Arafa obtained a Master’s degree in Law – Department of Economics and Public Finance – with a “Very Good with Honors” grade, following his graduation with a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Helwan University among the top graduates of his class. He also obtained several professional and specialized certifications in arbitration, risk management, and the fields of finance and investment.
Mr. Arafa has received numerous certificates of appreciation and honors, most notably winning first place in the Egypt Government Excellence Award for Distinguished Leaders at the national level in 2019, in addition to multiple certificates of appreciation from the World Bank, the Financial Regulatory Authority, and the Ministry of Public Business Sector, in recognition of his professional and legislative contributions.
Over the course of his career, Arafa has contributed to the preparation and review of a large number of contracts, agreements, and memoranda of understanding related to domestic and foreign investments. He has also participated in drafting the legal frameworks governing several economic and financial activities, which has strengthened his expertise in contractual and regulatory aspects related to the business and investment environment.
He also possesses diverse experience, including serving as a certified lecturer at the Non-Banking Financial Services Institute, and participating in awareness programs on legislation and newly introduced tools in non-banking financial activities. This reflects his technical and legal expertise in handling specialized investment and contractual matters.
This decree aligns with the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade’s direction toward supporting investment contract portfolios with specialized legal expertise possessing cumulative experience in economic legislation and contract management, thereby enhancing investor confidence, improving the efficiency of the work framework, and supporting the state’s efforts to attract domestic and foreign investments.
