Egypt

Over the past decade, Egypt has made significant progress in terms of improving education quality and outreach, thanks to an increase in private schools, new technical and vocational curriculum and greater local engagement. Public education is free and literacy rates for those between ages 15 and 44 in the 10 years from 1996 rose by almost 15%. However, underfunding, overcrowded classrooms and...

The long-term fundamentals in Egypt are very attractive in just about every sector, and construction is no exception. In the wake of the revolution, a number of projects scheduled for 2012 were moved up to 2011, stimulating the economy but leaving a dearth of government approved projects for the future. With presidential elections having taken place, the construction sector in Egypt is now...

Once considered the breadbasket of the Roman and Byzantine Empires, Egypt today continues to be an agricultural powerhouse. Rising domestic demand supports local producers, and it has also led to the country becoming a net food importer. Although aggregate cereal production reached 22.3m tonnes in 2011, a 9.3% increase on the previous year, domestic supply cannot meet demand, making Egypt the...

With exploration continuing apace, the country’s hydrocarbons reserves continue to rise, and currently stand at 4.3bn barrels of oil and more than 77trn cu feet of gas. The Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation plays the roles of regulator, joint venture partner, licence provider, refiner and marketer for the oil segment. Egypt has the largest refining capacity in Africa, with 10 oil refineries...

Thanks to a heavy private sector presence and sizable domestic demand, Egypt’s telecommunications sector has seen immense growth in its subscriber base. Although average revenue per user is low compared to other regional markets – at roughly one-third that of Morocco and one-quarter that of Jordan – affordability and improved features and services have helped drive penetration up to 112%, or 92....

With more than 1.4m people directly employed by the sector and 4m indirectly, tourism is a key income generator for the nation. In 2010 the sector accounted for 12% of GDP and brought in an estimated $12.5bn. Russia accounts for the most visitors to Egypt, with a total of 1.8m visitors travelling to the country in 2011. Another promising source market is the Gulf, whence an increasing number of...