Egypt targets a 65% private sector investment share within two years alongside an accelerating state exit plan that has already seen 20 government companies provisionally listed on the Egyptian Exchange, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced.
Speaking at a meeting in the New Administrative Capital to review the privatisation programme, Madbouly stated that the private sector’s contribution to total investments has exceeded 56.5 % over the past three years. He noted that expectations point to the private sector surpassing the state’s 65 % target within the next two years at most, positioned to lead the country’s economic development.
Hashem El-Sayed, Assistant Prime Minister and Chief Executive of the State-Owned Enterprises Unit, explained that the 20 provisional listings were completed before the end of June and comprise 17 firms affiliated with the public enterprise sector and three from the petroleum sector.
Procedures are currently underway to provisionally list an additional 10 companies, including seven petroleum and three public enterprise firms. This will complete a previously announced 30-company programme comprising a total of 20 public enterprise and 10 petroleum entities.
Madbouly clarified that provisional listing is the first phase of a public offering, which is followed by valuation studies, registration with the Financial Regulatory Authority, and finally, the offering and initial trading. The government aims to begin registering the first provisionally listed companies with the authority before the end of 2026.
During the meeting, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Farid reviewed the latest procedures for offering a stake in Misr Life Insurance, detailing the steps taken to prepare for the sale in a manner that secures optimal returns for the state and enhances the company’s attractiveness to investors.
The talks were attended by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Hussein Issa, Minister of Finance Ahmed Kouchouk, Acting Executive Director of the Sovereign Fund of Egypt Noha Khalil, and other officials.
Issa discussed the institutional framework governing the second edition of the State Ownership Policy Document, highlighting the complementary roles of the State-Owned Enterprises Unit, the Sovereign Fund of Egypt, and the Information and Decision Support Centre (IDSC) in accelerating the initial public offering programme.
Osama El-Gohary, Assistant Prime Minister and Head of the IDSC, stated that the second edition of the document has received positive feedback from international institutions. He noted that international observers praised the updates as a reflection of the state’s seriousness in pursuing economic reform, enhancing transparency, and widening private sector participation.
Madbouly reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding the private sector’s role to maximise the use of state assets, attract domestic and foreign investments, and increase production and employment across the economy.
