RIYADH: Egypt’s foreign cash revenue is projected to surge by $13.7 billion from five key sources this year, a 14.6 percent increase over last year, according to the International Monetary Fund. 

This surge is largely due to investments in the Ras Al Hikma City development deal recently signed by the government with ADQ Holdings, as reported by CNBC Arabia. 

The IMF projected that foreign cash inflows from these five sources for the fiscal year 2023-2024 will total around $107.3 billion, compared to about $93.6 billion in 2022-2023. 

These sources encompass proceeds from commodity exports, tourism revenues, Suez Canal revenues, as well as private transfers and net foreign direct investment. 

Despite expectations of an increase in foreign cash revenue from these sources this year, the IMF anticipates inflows to decrease again in the next fiscal year, dropping below the levels of the previous year to approximately $91.2 billion. 

The fund forecasts foreign cash inflows from commodity exports to decline to $33.2 billion during the current fiscal year, compared to $39.6 billion last year, reflecting a decrease of about 16.2 percent, with an expected increase to $35.6 billion next year. 

It also predicts a decline in Egypt’s tourism revenues during 2023-2024 to around $12 billion, compared to $13.6 billion in 2022-2023, reflecting a decrease of about 11.8 percent, with an increase to around $12.6 billion in 2024-2025. 

Furthermore, the financial agency expects a decline in Suez Canal revenues during the current fiscal year to $6.8 billion, compared to $8.8 billion last year, marking a decrease of about 22.7 percent, with an anticipated increase to around $10 billion next year. 

As for net private transfers from abroad, they are anticipated to increase to around $23.1 billion during 2023-2024, compared to about $21.9 billion during 2022-2023, reflecting a 5.5 percent increase, and continuing to rise to $24.6 billion in 2024-2025. 

Similarly, net foreign direct investment inflows are projected to surge during the current year to around $32.2 billion, compared to $9.7 billion in the previous fiscal year, marking a 232 percent increase, and then decline next year to $8.4 billion.