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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...

Industrial activity remains an economic mainstay in Egypt, with well-established sectors such as textiles, food processing, consumer staples and automotive assembly. Although 35% of industrial producers suffered significant setbacks in 2011 following the political upheaval, the consumer staples segment fared well throughout the year, and even experienced growth. The shift to modern retailing...

The government has invited the Japan International Cooperation Agency to come up with a new master plan for the transport sector. Urban transport, railways and inland waterways have been identified as key areas of improvement. Efforts are under way to upgrade Egypt’s 6700-km rail network. In 2010 the World Bank announced a $330m loan to support the National Railways Restructuring Project, a plan...

Insurance penetration is comparatively limited and is estimated to range between 0.7% and 1.2%. The sector has a combined total of 29 firms in life and non-life, with an asset base of roughly $6.71bn. Non-life policies have shown steady growth in recent years, rising from $870m in the 2009/10 fiscal year to $954m in the 2010/11 fiscal year. Motor insurance is compulsory and represents the...