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    Market profile

    Egypt

    Strategic opportunities at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa.

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Key takeaways

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Egypt at a glance

Egypt’s strategic location at the crossroads of Africa, Europe and Asia offers businesses access to diverse regional and global markets, reinforcing its role as a strategic gateway for international trade and investment.

With a diversified economy, expanding manufacturing base and an ambitious Vision 2030 agenda, the country is strengthening its position as a regional platform for trade, production and capital flows.

Investment drivers
  • Pivotal location linking key global markets
  • Strong focus on industrial development and exports
  • Continued efforts to attract foreign direct investments
  • Accelerating digital and financial sector transformation
Sectors to watch

Renewable energy, manufacturing, fintech, tourism, and agriculture

Key corridor markets

Japan, the European Union, and the United States

Banking implications

Growing demand for trade finance, working capital, treasury, foreign exchange and cross-border banking solutions

Standard Chartered will play an effective role in supporting the Egyptian economy, linking investment between Asia, the Gulf region and Egypt.
Mohamed Maait
Former Egyptian Finance Minister

Egypt by the numbers

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    USD15 billion

    Foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2025

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    USD18 billion

    Total investments in the Suez Canal Economic Zone

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    24.6 per cent

    The European Union’s share of Egypt’s total trade

Why Egypt, why now

Strategic location

Positioned at the crossroads of Africa, Europe and Asia, Egypt offers investors access to major trade routes, regional markets and cross-border growth opportunities from a single location. Egypt’s Special Economic Zones, particularly the Suez Canal Economic Zone, further reinforce its position as a regional manufacturing and industrial hub.

Vision 2030

Vision 2030 serves as a blueprint to enhance competitiveness, attract investment and accelerate the modernisation of Egypt’s economy and financial sector.

Export and manufacturing ambitions

Egypt is targeting exports of USD145 billion by 2030 as part of its strategy to strengthen industrial development and economic resilience.

Industries including textiles, chemicals, machinery and food products are expected to play an increasingly important role in driving exports, attracting investments and strengthening regional trade flows.

Egypt city skyline
Egypt is well positioned to strengthen its role as a hub for investment, trade and manufacturing. As global capital and trade flows evolve, our priority is to connect Egyptian companies to international opportunities while helping global investors access the growth potential of Egypt.
Profile
Mohamed Gad
CEO, Standard Chartered Egypt

Standard Chartered’s edge in Egypt

Our full banking license enables us to deliver banking services to sovereign and government entities, large corporates, financial institutions and multinational companies operating within the country.

Supported by the broadest branch network of any international bank across the Middle East

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Fully integrated electronic foreign exchange (FX) capabilities

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Full suite of ‘documentary’ and ‘open account’ trade finance solutions

Icon showing currency of Republic of China-Renminbi

Best Renminbi Bank in Egypt 2025 at The Asset Triple A Treasurise Awards 2026

In 2025, we strengthened our Corporate & Investment Banking offering in Egypt with the launch of our custody services, expanding our on-ground capabilities to support institutional clients.

Standard Chartered Egypt is committed to supporting entrepreneurship and SME growth, including through programmes such as the Women in Tech Accelerator, which helps women-led businesses access networks, mentorship and opportunities to scale and participate more fully in the digital economy.

Trends transforming Egypt’s banking landscape

Rising foreign investment and industrial expansion

  • Egypt maintained its position as Africa’s largest recipient of FDI in 2025, attracting inflows of USD15 billion.
  • Investment continues to flow into infrastructure, energy and utilities, financial services and logistics, supported by Egypt’s economic reforms, strategic location and expanding regional trade links.
  • As international investors establish operations and expand supply chains in Egypt, demand continues to growth for cross-border financing, trade solutions, treasury management and foreign exchange capabilities that support business growth and regional expansion.

Source: 2026 World Investment Report

Fintech growth

  • Establishing and strengthening its position as one of Africa’s leading fintech ecosystems, driven by continued growth in digital payments, innovation and financial technology adoption.
  • As of 2025, the fintech sector is dominated by three sub-sectors: payments and remittance (36 per cent), lending and financing (11 per cent), and B2B marketplace (10 per cent).

Source: OECD

Cross-border transaction capabilities

  • Egypt joined the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) in 2024. Developed by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the platform facilitates cross-border payments and trade transactions while reducing costs and processing time.
  • In June 2026, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) upgraded the country’s banking infrastructure by adopting the international ISO 20022 financial messaging standard for interbank transfers. This move aims to improve cross-border payments and further align Egypt’s financial system with global banking practices.

Corridor opportunities

Egypt’s critical location and growing trade links are creating opportunities across key international corridors. Through our global network and on-the-ground corridor expertise, we help clients navigate cross-border trade, investment and treasury requirements across origin and destination markets.

Sector opportunities

Manufacturing and industrialisation

  • Total trade reached USD131.5 billion in 2025, with exports increasing 17 per cent year-on-year, reinforcing Egypt’s role as a regional trade and manufacturing hub.  
  • Egypt aims to increase exports to USD145 billion in exports by 2030 through investment-led export expansion, with chemicals, textiles and food products among the sectors expected to benefit most.
  • Corporates can take advantage of digital transformation and smart manufacturing solutions, reduced costs, expedited market access, and trade agreements that provide entry to numerous international markets.

Renewable energy and green hydrogen

  • Egypt has the sixth-largest oil reserves in Africa and is self-sufficient in traditional power generation. It boasts a world-class oil refining infrastructure that processes 38 million tons annually.
  • The country is set to expand its renewable capacity to 45,000 megawatts from projects under construction in the coming years and aims to attract at least USD10 billion in investments for renewable energy projects by 2028.
  • Policy reforms have opened Egypt’s energy market to private sector participation and reduced electricity subsidies, helping accelerate investments in solar and wind energy.
  • Free zones and investment zones offer tax and customs incentives, simplified procedures and integrated infrastructure for energy and industrial investors.   

Financial services and fintech

  • Egypt’s fintech market ranks among the largest innovation hubs in Africa, valued at approximately USD765 million and projected to grow to USD2.9 billion by 2033.
  • The sector is characterised by a dynamic mix of regional and international players, with major domestic banks partnering actively partnering with fintech companies through new ventures, acquisitions and strategic investments.
  • Cross-border payments are expanding as a result of improved transparency, increased collaboration and broader market reach. Global businesses are turning to their fintech partners, regulators and development institutions as partnership models increasingly prove more effective than competition-driven approaches.

Tourism

  • Tourism is a fundamental pillar of the Egyptian national economy, serving as a critical driver of FX earnings and inclusive economic growth. It is a major source of foreign investments, which contributes to achieving balanced growth of the country’s economic structure.
  • In 2025, Egypt recorded nearly 19 million tourist arrivals, a 21 per cent increase from 2024. Tourism added around USD31 billion to the country’s GDP, accounting for 3.7 per cent of GDP in fiscal 2024/25, the highest level this decade, up from 3.4 per cent a year earlier.
  • Egypt tourism sector continues to create investment opportunities, supported by a favourable business environment, ongoing infrastructure development and government initiatives that support the sector’s long-term growth.

Source: Statista

Agriculture

  • Egyptian agricultural exports have already exceeded 5.8 million tons as of July 2026, as compared to 9.5 million tons in 2025, 8.6 million tons in 2024, and 7.4 million tons in 2023.
  • This reflects the growing global demand for Egyptian agriculture produce, demonstrating the success of Egypt’s efforts to develop the sector’s international competitiveness.

Source: Arab News

Products and services

We offer a comprehensive suite of Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) solutions, while serving as a convenient North African hub for our multinational and large corporate clients.

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Cash management

  • Accounts services
  • Collections
  • Liquidity management
  • Payments
Learn more
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Digital/mobile banking

  • Host-to-Host
  • Straight2Bank
Learn more
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Trade services

  • Documentary trade
  • Guarantees
  • Receivables services
  • Supply chain finance
  • Trade loans
Learn more

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    Egypt – Japan

    Manufacturing and trade

    • In 2023, Egypt’s exports to Japan were valued at 72.1 billion yen (approx. USD481 million) and imports from Japan were valued at 32.6 billion yen (approx. USD217 million).
    • The proposed Japanese industrial zone in the Suez Canal Economic Zone is expected to strengthen bilateral trade and investment by providing Japanese companies with investment incentives and customs advantages.
    • More than 100 Japanese companies, primarily in manufacturing, operate in Egypt. Increasingly, they are expanding local manufacturing in Egypt to strengthen supply chain resilience and improve access broader regional markets.
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    Egypt – EU

    Trade and agriculture

    • The European Union accounted for 24.6 per cent of Egypt’s total trade in 2025. It was also the main destination for Egyptian exports (USD11.6 billion) and the largest source of Egyptian imports (USD19.4 billion).
    • Around 80 per cent of Egypt’s trade is conducted through multilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) – the largest multilateral FTA being the EU-Egypt Association Agreement, which creates a free-trade area between both countries by removing tariffs on industrial products and making agricultural products easier to trade.

    Renewable energy

    • In June 2026, Egypt and the EU deepened their partnership in the field of renewable energy with a financing package of EUR600 million to modernise Egypt’s electricity network.
    • The investment is expected to create opportunities for African and European companies across engineering, construction, equipment supply and clean-energy technologies.
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    Egypt – US

    Energy and infrastructure

    • Private sector cooperation is driven by the US-Egypt Strategic Energy Dialogue and US financial guarantees, which includes key initiatives such as a USD2 billion credit authorisation for US natural gas shipments to Egypt.
    • In 2025, Egypt imported a total of 9.01 million metric tons of natural gas, with the US supplying the majority of this (90.9 per cent).
    • Opportunities are emerging across renewable energy, green hydrogen, power infrastructure and industrial development, creating demand for capital investment, project financing and cross-border banking solutions.

    Manufacturing and supply chain

    • Egypt is the fourth largest regional trading partner with the US, with a total trade volume of USD12.3 billion in 2025.
    • The US and Egypt maintain a longstanding manufacturing and trade partnership, underpinned by the Qualifying Industrial Zone (QIZ) agreement which grants Egyptian goods duty-free entry into the US.
    • US companies are increasingly leveraging Egypt’s preferential trade agreements to strengthen supply chain resilience, reduce tariff costs and expand access to regional and international markets.  
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