One of the main challenges Egypt faces is the concentration of activity in Cairo, with the capital accounting for more than half of formal sector jobs in the country. Forecasts indicate that use of the city’s transportation trips will almost triple in a decade, going from 12.7m trips per day in 2011 to 33m by 2022. Commuting can be complex,...
Transport infrastructure is one of the current priority areas for development for the Egyptian government, which is looking to roll out an era of mega-projects. Roads are congested, with 91m people competing for space with trucks and trailers, as almost all commercial goods in the country are moved via roads. The process of refurbishing ports...
The recently completed development of the Suez Canal exemplifies the government’s approach to infrastructure development. The project is intended to facilitate long-term economic growth and stimulate short-term growth by putting more Egyptians to work, while significantly expanding the country’s infrastructure. The canal was expanded in just...
Egypt has a well-established system of special zones, industrial zones and free zones, overseen primarily by the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI). The current zones system was established in 1997 and includes 10 public free zones clustered in and around Cairo, Alexandria and in areas close to Cairo’s waterways.
Sourcing natural gas is one of the chief obstacles for Egypt’s heavy industries, as shortages have persisted since 2014 (see Energy chapter). Gas is sold through the state-owned Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), which has prioritised supply to the power sector and residential consumers. This has left industrial buyers facing...
With a market of 92m consumers and growing, Egypt is a natural fit for manufacturing industries. An estimated 1.2m Egyptians work in textiles, for example, and the plastics sector alone provides 500,000 jobs. Egypt is also home to energy-intensive industries such as cement, steel and petrochemicals manufacturing. As a result, the sector spans...
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