Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of Egypt, H E Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh
Doha, Qatar: Egypt is eyeing to deepen its economic and investment ties with Qatar as Cairo advances reforms to attract foreign capital, expand private sector participation, and create new opportunities for bilateral business cooperation, an official has said.
In an exclusive interview with The Peninsula, the Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of Egypt, H E Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, highlighted the longstanding relationship between the two countries. The Minister pointed to ongoing investment engagement with Qatari entities, including real estate developer Qatari Diar, and said continued cooperation could help increase investment flows between Egypt and Qatar.
He noted that Egypt was already seeing investment activity involving Qatari partners and referred to discussions on projects that could generate further investment in the coming years.
The remarks underscore the importance Cairo places on its economic relationship with Doha as Egypt seeks to attract international investors and position itself as a destination for long-term investment.
Discussing bilateral economic relations, the Minister described Egypt and Qatar as having longstanding ties and underscored the role of investment cooperation in strengthening their relationship.
He indicated that the proposed projects could support additional capital flows from Qatar to Egypt, while also creating opportunities for reciprocal investment and closer economic engagement. The comments come as Egypt seeks to attract foreign direct investment through a strategy that combines regulatory reforms, targeted investment promotion and cooperation with international partners.
Alongside its focus on bilateral investment ties, Minister Saleh outlined a new phase of economic reforms designed to improve the business environment and increase private sector participation.
He emphasised that Egypt had made significant progress in restoring macroeconomic stability through monetary and fiscal measures, alongside reforms intended to facilitate trade and improve the operating environment for businesses.
According to the Minister, the private sector’s share of total investment had risen from an average of around 40 percent to 45 percent to approximately 64 percent in the latest quarterly figures.
Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of Egypt, H E Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh
The government is now seeking to build on that progress through changes to company regulations, a unified business licensing platform and the establishment of nine investment zones across the country.
Egypt is also developing a digital platform to allow companies to apply for licences through a single channel, linking around 90 government entities involved in licensing procedures.
The Minister said the platform would help reduce administrative hurdles and improve the ease of doing business.
The planned establishment of nine investment zones is another component of Egypt’s strategy to attract capital and create jobs beyond its main economic centres.
The zones are intended to encourage private sector investment in rural and less-developed areas, widening the geographical distribution of business activity and supporting employment.
He said that Egypt was also willing to work directly with foreign investors in priority sectors identified under its foreign direct investment strategy, developed in collaboration with the World Bank.
Speaking on the sidelines of the recently concluded World Investment Forum in Doha, he added that Egypt’s economic transformation was continuing beyond macroeconomic stabilisation, with the next stage focused on investment policies, industrial development and regulatory improvements.
For Egypt and Qatar, continued engagement between investors and businesses offers a potential avenue for expanding bilateral economic cooperation, particularly through projects that can attract long-term capital and support development in Egypt.
