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Balancing lending portfolios becomes a priority Revived project pipeline offers financing opportunities The government renews its call for SME support Steps are taken to curb the parallel exchange system

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 combination of the two – along with a range of efforts including new economic zones and power plants to improve industrial production and energy output, and a slate of public works projects including an expansion to the Suez Canal – means that Egypt is proceeding along an increasingly smooth, if still occasionally pot-holed, road to growth. There are challenges still to be tackled, but the country’s outlook is brighter than it has been since the 2011 revolution.

This chapter contains interviews with Hany Kadry Dimian, Minister of Finance; Alaa Omar, CEO, General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI); Anis Aclimandos, President, American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (AmCham Egypt); Sindiso Ndema Ngwenya, Secretary General, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA); and Karim Awad, CEO, EFG Hermes.

A look at some of the local hotels and resorts Listings for government offices, embassies and services Practical advice for first-time visitors to the country

New regulations in telecoms and resource extraction The Competition Authority becomes more active Nairobi aims to take on role as regional financial centre Public-private partnerships are increasingly common