- Dr. Mohamed Farid, MIFT Minister, meets with senior executives from 18 American companies and institutions during a roundtable organized by the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU).
Senior executives of American companies:
- The Egyptian economy possesses strong competitive fundamentals and significant growth potential across all sectors.
- Eighteen global American companies and institutions expressed interest in exploring investment opportunities in Egypt, particularly in cybersecurity, energy, medical technology, and financial services sectors.
- Restoring and strengthening confidence with the private sector is a priority, with effective investment targeting based on incentives, investment frameworks, and a business environment that is both investor-friendly and protective of rights.
Dr. Mohamed Fared Saleh:
- The Egyptian government is firmly committed to continuing economic reform, ensuring a stable business environment, and establishing flexible regulations that safeguard shareholders’ rights and encourage investment.
- Bridging the financing gap requires further strengthening of foreign direct investment inflows, as well as mobilizing greater domestic savings.
- Efforts are underway to reduce investment risks and streamline procedures to ensure a more attractive investment climate.
- The government remains committed to maintaining the stability of economic policies—fiscal, monetary, and investment-related—as a key pillar for attracting both domestic and foreign investment, and for strengthening private sector confidence in the sustainability of the State’s economic direction.
GE HealthCare:
- Egypt’s Healthcare Sector represents a promising opportunity for expansion in medical technology and advanced healthcare services.
Lockheed Martin:
- We look forward to exploring opportunities for cooperation in advanced technologies and strategic industries.
Resecurity:
- The Egyptian market offers significant potential for growth in cybersecurity and digital transformation.
Philips:
- There are strong opportunities for expansion in healthcare solutions and medical technology.
Kraft Heinz:
- Egypt represents a large consumer market and a regional base for expansion in the food industry.
Morgan Stanley:
- Economic reforms are enhancing the attractiveness of the Egyptian market for international financial institutions.
Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade (MIFT Minister), held an extensive roundtable with BCIU representatives, chaired by Mr. Peter Tichansky, with the participation of representatives from 18 American and international companies operating across various investment and economic sectors. The meeting aimed to strengthen direct dialogue with the international business community, review investment opportunities in the Egyptian market, and translate global corporate interest into actual investments.
During the meeting, the Minister presented the State’s vision for attracting foreign investment, noting that the Egyptian government has moved into a more advanced phase based on sectoral and legislative reforms, following the successful implementation of major infrastructure investments. He emphasized that this shift further enhances the economy’s capacity to attract investment and achieve sustainable growth.
The participating entities in the roundtable were distributed among nine major global companies operating across diverse sectors. These included GE HealthcCare, operating in the healthcare sector and represented by Mr. Andrew Quinn; Lockheed Martin, specializing in technology and defence industries, represented by Mr. Shawn Patton; and Resecurity, a leading cybersecurity company, represented by Mr. Alex Hunter. Also participating was Philips, active in medical technology, represented by Mr. Edward Pride; and Kraft Heinz, operating in the food industry, represented by Mr. William Behrens.
The list further included Morgan Stanley, one of the world’s largest financial services and investment institutions, represented by Mr. Anas Bailey; Level 4 International, specializing in international services, represented by Ms. Vanessa Adams; Sumitomo Corporation, with diversified commercial and industrial activities, represented by Ms. Yasuko Fumiko; and PWB Earth, focused on technology and sustainability, represented by Mr. Rubesh Handali.
The list also included four major U.S. companies with significant economic influence: Procter & Gamble (P&G), specializing in consumer goods; The Coca-Cola Company, a global leader in the beverages sector; Chevron, one of the major players in the energy, oil, and gas industry; as well as Martin Corporation, which operates in the field of specialized and precision industries.
The roundtable also witnessed the participation of five international advisory firms and consultancies, including Blue Merchant Partners, specializing in financial advisory services; Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), operating in space systems and electronic systems; and Bankers Without Boundaries (BwB), focused on financial innovation. It also included KRL International, which is a strategic advisory firm, as well as the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), which organized this high-level meeting.
The Minister outlined the State’s strategy to bridge the financing gap between the targeted investment rate of 25% and the current savings rate of 11%. This is being pursued through maximizing foreign direct investment inflows, as well as mobilizing domestic savings by reforming the insurance sector and pension funds, and channelling them toward long-term projects and venture capital funds to support start-ups.
In a move reflecting the state’s seriousness in reassuring investors, the minister revealed the Egyptian government’s success in achieving a breakthrough in the file of dues owed to international oil companies, as the arrears have decreased sharply from $6.5 billion to only $1.2 billion, in parallel with allocating huge investments to modernize the national electricity grid and enhance regional interconnection projects, in order to ensure the sustainability of supplies and the competitiveness of the market.
Regarding legislative reform, Dr. Farid explained that the current direction involves adopting flexible legal frameworks aligned with leading international models. He affirmed the possibility of examining the application of the English legal model in designated financial and business zones, in order to ensure the highest levels of clarity and protection for foreign investors.
He also pointed to the State’s intention to adopt modern regulatory models, including partnership structures such as General Partner/Limited Partner (GP/LP), which provide legal clarity and comprehensive investor protection, and contribute to attracting long-term institutional investments.
The Minister also reviewed efforts to develop the business environment, which include expanding the automation of services and providing targeted tax and customs incentives, along with activating special investment zones whose boards of directors are granted direct authority to issue licenses and approvals. This contributes to reducing investment time and costs and enhancing the efficiency of procedures for investors.
The roundtable witnessed extensive interactive discussions during which major international entities presented their aspirations for the Egyptian market. Representatives from GE HealthCare and Philips agreed that the healthcare sector in Egypt represents a promising investment opportunity, particularly in the fields of advanced medical technology and digital health services. This opens the door for new investments to localize the latest treatment solutions.
In the area of advanced technology, representatives of LockheedMartin expressed their interest in exploring new avenues for cooperation in strategic industries and advanced defence technologies. Meanwhile, officials from Resecurity emphasized that the Egyptian market holds significant potential for growth in cybersecurity and digital transformation, positioning it as a vital regional hub for secure digital services.
In the manufacturing and financial sectors, Kraft Heinz highlighted that Egypt—by virtue of its strategic location and trade agreements—represents a large consumer market and a strong base for regional expansion in the food industry toward neighbouring markets. MorganStanley reinforced this perspective, noting that the pace of economic and structural reforms currently being implemented by the Egyptian government is directly enhancing market attractiveness and strengthening the confidence of international financial institutions in the Egyptian economy’s future growth prospects.
On the sidelines of the roundtable, the Minister held a number of bilateral meetings with representatives of international companies, including Mr. Alex Hunter, Founder and CEO of Resecurity, and Mr. William Behrens, Global Head of Government Affairs at Kraft Heinz, during which expansion plans in the Egyptian market were discussed, along with prospects for future cooperation.
The Minister concluded the meetings by inviting international companies to capitalize on the promising investment opportunities in Egypt, emphasizing the government's commitment to continuing economic reforms and providing a stable and stimulating investment environment that will attract more foreign investment and achieve sustainable development.
