Egyptian PM directs government to prepare investment package for US firms

Mostafa Madbouly in a meeting with his Cabinet. State Information Service
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Updated 21 July 2025
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Egyptian PM directs government to prepare investment package for US firms

RIYADH: Egypt’s prime minister has instructed his government to prepare a package of investment opportunities for US firms, aiming to strengthen bilateral relations.

In a meeting with his Cabinet ministers, Mostafa Madbouly stated that several opportunities are available, particularly given the significant advantages offered by the country’s government to foreign investors, according to Egypt’s State Information Service. 

Egypt is intensifying efforts to attract foreign direct investment as part of its broader economic reform agenda and Vision 2030 strategy for sustainable development. 

Amid global headwinds and domestic economic challenges, the Egyptian government has launched several initiatives to deepen economic partnerships with major international players, notably the US.

One key milestone in this effort was the US–Egypt Policy Leaders Forum 2025, held in May, at which Madbouly announced that over 1,800 US companies are currently operating in the country, generating $47 billion in investments over the past two decades.

Discussing the latest Cabinet meeting, the Egyptian State Information Service reported that Madbouly “highlighted the government’s interest in supporting Egyptian-US relations in light of the strategic and historical ties between the two sides, noting the many opportunities for cooperation that could be exploited to support joint collaboration.”

The Egyptian prime minister added that his government is keen to remove all obstacles to joint cooperation, as well as to propose specific projects that will be discussed for collaboration in the upcoming period. 

During the gathering, Egypt’s Minister of Industry and Transport, Kamel Al-Wazir, reviewed investment opportunities presented to US companies in sectors such as ports, maritime transport, and industrial zones. 

Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation Rania El-Mashat outlined Egypt’s development cooperation efforts with the US, highlighting successful collaborative programs that contribute to the country’s development and further strengthen relations between the two sides.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Madbouly instructed all relevant authorities to coordinate on preparing a set of promising investment opportunities and to ensure they are presented to US companies, to boost foreign direct investment in Egypt.

Egypt, Germany in talks for €100m debt swap deal




International Cooperation Minister Rania Al-Mashat spoke at a joint press conference in Cairo with Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Germany’s Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Reem Alabali-Radovan. State Information Service

In another major development, Al-Mashat announced that the country is in talks with Germany over a new debt swap agreement worth €100 million ($116.48 million), to be disbursed in two tranches. 

The first tranche is expected in December 2025 and the second in June 2026, according to the north African country’s State Information Service.

“These negotiations reflect the strength of Egyptian-German development cooperation and shared priorities in supporting sustainable development projects,” said Al-Mashat. 

According to Egypt’s Ministry of International Cooperation, the total value of debt swaps between Egypt and Germany would reach €340 million with this new agreement.


Saudi ports container handling rises 2% to 738k TEUs in January: Mawani 

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Saudi ports container handling rises 2% to 738k TEUs in January: Mawani 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s ports handled 738,111 twenty-foot equivalent units in January, a 2.01 percent increase from a year earlier, driven by a sharp rise in transshipment volumes despite weaker inbound and outbound trade. 

Ports overseen by the Saudi Ports Authority, known as Mawani, reported that transshipment containers surged 22.44 percent year on year to 184,019 TEUs, helping offset softer cargo flows.  

This comes as Saudi Arabia accelerates efforts to position itself as a global logistics hub under its National Transport and Logistics Strategy, investing heavily in port infrastructure and supply-chain integration to capture a larger share of regional trade flows. 

Mawani emphasized in a statement that the increased container handling “delivers multiple economic benefits, including enhanced trade activity, stimulation of maritime-related industries, tourism growth, and strengthened supply chains.” 

While overall container volumes grew, the figures revealed a mixed performance across different segments. Inbound container volumes declined 3.23 percent to 284,375 TEUs, while outbound containers fell 3.47 percent to 269,717 TEUs compared to January 2025. 

Passenger traffic through Saudi ports jumped 42.27 percent to 143,566 travelers in January, while vehicle volumes rose 3.31 percent to 109,097 units.  

Livestock imports showed particularly strong momentum, with ports receiving 886,908 heads of cattle — a 49.86 percent increase compared to 591,824 heads during the same period in 2025. 

Liquid bulk cargo registered a marginal increase of 0.28 percent, reaching 14.1 million tonnes. However, total handled tonnage — including general cargo, dry bulk, and liquid bulk — declined 3.04 percent to 19.2 million tonnes. General cargo stood at 839,987 tonnes, while dry bulk reached 4.26 million tonnes. 

Vessel traffic experienced a slight decrease of 1.75 percent, with 1,121 ships calling at Saudi ports compared to 1,141 ships in January 2025. 

The positive January figures follow a strong 2025 performance, during which Mawani-supervised ports achieved a 10.58 percent annual increase in container throughput, handling 8.32 million TEUs compared to 7.52 million TEUs in 2024. Transshipment containers for full-year 2025 rose 11.78 percent to 1.93 million TEUs. 

The total number of outgoing containers rose by 11.72 percent in 2025 to reach 3.1 million TEUs, compared to 2.8 million TEUs, while the total number of incoming containers increased by 8.82 percent to reach 3.2 million TEUs in 2025, compared to 2.9 million TEUs a year earlier.