Egypt

Despite political and economic difficulties in the country in the past few years, Egypt has a growing and attractive insurance market. Penetration is low, and people are becoming increasingly aware of the need to cover risk. They are especially positive on insurance given the turmoil of 2011 and the fact that insurers made good on their policies despite the damage caused by the upheaval. The...

It has been an interesting year for the Egyptian Exchange (EGX). In 2015 the main board featured the highest number of listed companies since 2010, while products such as the nation’s first exchange-traded fund (ETF) provided a deeper market and new investment options. After years of crisis management in the wake of the 2011 revolution, the exchange authorities have re-established an outward-...

Benefitting from the nation’s increasing economic stability over the past year, Egypt’s banks have enjoyed both ratings upgrades and continued profitability. Thanks to an ambitious government development strategy and new investment legislation, the project finance pipeline is returning to form after a period of muted activity. Elsewhere on the aggregate loan book, competition is heating up to...

After several years marked by turbulence and uncertainty, Egypt’s economy received two welcome boosts in 2015. The first was the successful conclusion to the Egypt Economic Development Conference (EEDC) in the first quarter of the year. The second was the successful passage of the 2015/16 budget, which builds upon delicate but necessary reforms to improve Egypt’s public finances. The...

Lying astride trade routes linking West, East, North and South, Egypt has long been at the heart of regional and global commerce. For the past century and a half, the Suez Canal has been a major conduit for international trade, including oil. Building on decades of leadership in the Arab world, Egypt is undergoing major governmental transformation in the aftermath of the 2011 revolution....