Cairo: Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, affirmed that the Egyptian government is moving forward with a clear strategy to expand private-sector participation and attract new investments. She noted that the economy has gained greater stability as the state advances its economic and structural reform program. Her remarks came during an extensive roundtable with more than twenty leading German companies and investors, where she reviewed Egypt's recent economic progress, improved growth indicators, and expanding investment landscape. She also encouraged German businesses to further increase their presence in the Egyptian market.
According to State Information Service Egypt, Al-Mashat underscored Germany's position as one of Egypt's most significant European partners, noting that more than 1,600 German companies are currently operating in the country, with German investments exceeding pound 6 billion across sectors such as energy, transport, digitalization, and industry. She emphasized that Egyptian-German cooperation has evolved into a model for development partnerships and policy coordination, supported by institutional reforms and growing integration between the public and private sectors in both nations. The minister stressed that empowering the private sector remains a cornerstone of Egypt's development vision.
She pointed out that Egypt has secured more than $15.6 billion in development financing between 2020 and May 2025, supporting national priorities and major projects. She highlighted that pound 1.8 billion in European investment guarantees unlocks significant opportunities for expanding German investment in Egypt. Innovative financing tools for the private sector, she said, remain a top priority in cooperation with development partners.
According to Al-Mashat, the European guarantee mechanism enables genuine partnerships between German and European investors and Egyptian institutions through projects consistent with the NWFE platform, which focuses on water, food, and energy. These initiatives are helping broaden green and climate financing, with German companies emerging as key partners in Egypt's just energy transition. She also referred to the launch of the ministry's National Narrative for Economic Development: Growth and Employment-Driven Policies, a comprehensive national framework that aligns Vision 2030 with the government's action program and sectorial strategies.
The document supports Egypt's reform journey toward higher-productivity sectors and serves as a roadmap for long-term economic transformation. Al-Mashat added that Egypt has completed over 100 structural reforms in recent years, including public-finance improvements, customs modernization, implementation of the State Ownership Policy, and updates to the investment legislative framework. The national narrative aims to build a more competitive economic model rooted in stronger local production and expanded exports.
The minister also highlighted the notable improvement in economic performance during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024/2025, when growth reached around five percent, compared to 2.4 percent in the same quarter of the previous year, the highest quarterly growth rate in three years. This strong performance helped lift full-year growth to 4.4 percent, exceeding expectations of international institutions and demonstrating the resilience of the Egyptian economy amid global challenges.