All Countries and All Sectors

In light of recent political and macroeconomic instability, housing has once again risen to the top of the policy agenda in many countries of North Africa and the Levant. Although the dynamics of local real estate markets and regulatory environments vary widely between Morocco in the west and Jordan in the east, persistent housing deficits, an affordability gap and under-...

The contention that nothing is certain except for death and taxes has been given further credence as property taxes have finally become an established part of Egyptian life. A law to impose these levies was first introduced six years ago, but was never enforced in the face of strong opposition from property owners, and demands that the threshold and criteria be changed.

Thanks to privatisation and a growing population, the construction industry in Egypt flourished in the years up to 2010 and many of the cement producers doubled their capacity in order to supply the demand. This changed drastically, however, after the January 25 revolution in 2011 partly, but not wholly, because of the revolution itself. Certainly there was a squeeze on...

The turbulence Egypt has experienced since early 2011 have made attracting investments more difficult in several sectors, but thanks to strong domestic demand, ICT has been something of an exception and has weathered the volatility better than most.

What impact will a unified licensing regime have on Egypt’s telecoms sector?

Fast-changing, competitive and an important magnet for foreign and private-sector investment, the Egyptian telecoms sector is one of the most dynamic parts of the country’s economy, having weathered the economic slowdown over the past few years.