Sigma Capital

04-03-2026

General Authority for Investment and Free Zones and El Sewedy Group Discuss Establishing Egypt’s First Private Investment Zone

Source: MIST

In line with the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade’s plan to expand the establishment of investment zones, and under the directives of Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, to develop and diversify investment systems to meet the varying needs of investors, Eng. Mohamed El-Gousky, CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones, met with Eng. Ahmed El-Sewedy, Managing Director and CEO of El Sewedy Electric Group, and Eng. Mohamed El-Qemah, CEO of El Sewedy Industrial Development, to discuss the establishment of Egypt’s first private investment zone.

The private investment zone system, recently approved by the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade, provides all services investors need in one place, including a dedicated customs office within the zone. This facilitates import and export operations for activities linked to global value chains, whether the final product is intended for export or to meet local demand.

Currently, Egypt has 12 public investment zones across six governorates, hosting 1,273 projects and providing 77,500 job opportunities.

Eng. Mohamed El-Gousky emphasized that the Egyptian government aims to sustain private sector leadership in investment, noting that private sector investments accounted for 66% of total investments in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025/2026. He praised El Sewedy Group’s positive role in promoting Egyptian investment opportunities abroad, highlighting that the private sector is best positioned to engage with peer institutions in other countries.

He also outlined government efforts to reduce establishment and operating costs for investors. One such effort is the creation of private investment zones, where all procedures are completed within the zone. The establishment of a dedicated customs office will reduce shipping and unloading times and costs for companies operating in these zones. The government has already succeeded in reducing the average customs clearance time to 5.8 days, down from about 15.8 days previously, saving companies and institutions operating in the Egyptian market around $1.5 billion in shipping costs.

El-Gousky added that the private investment zone system goes beyond licensing, ensuring reduced time between establishment requests and the final product reaching markets, while enhancing efficiency and sustainability of projects with minimal time and effort. He noted that the system aligns with El Sewedy Electric’s integrated business model, which has achieved significant success in the Egyptian market. The group’s current and future projects provide education and training services, localize modern technologies, and establish complementary and feeder industries alongside main industries, targeting both local and international markets.

For his part, Eng. Ahmed El-Sewedy affirmed that Egypt’s economic stability and continuous improvement in investment legislation and procedures have reinforced Egypt’s position as an ideal destination for the group’s investments and expansions. He added that El Sewedy has become a gateway for promoting investment in Egypt, whether through joint investments with global institutions in the Egyptian market or through promotional campaigns abroad, which have successfully attracted several European and Asian companies to enter the Egyptian market.