Heiba highlighted hospitality and healthcare as particularly promising fields for Kuwaiti capital, citing strong returns and favorable incentives.
Egypt is looking to attract up to $7 billion in new Kuwaiti investments over the next two years as part of a broader strategy to deepen economic cooperation and leverage long-standing ties with the Gulf state, according to Hossam Heiba, CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), during the Egypt-Kuwait Investment Forum held in Cairo.
Speaking on the sidelines of the forum in an interview with regional media, Heiba said the proposed investments would span diverse sectors, including automotive, textiles, home appliances, electronics, pharmaceuticals, food processing, renewable energy, IT, data centers, artificial intelligence, and outsourcing.
Kuwait is already a key investor in Egypt, with Kuwaiti investments totaling $20 billion over the past decades. Currently, Kuwait ranks as Egypt’s fifth-largest foreign investor, and third among Arab nations, following the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Between FY 2021/2022 and FY2023/2024, direct Kuwaiti investments amounted to $6.2 billion, and more than 1,500 Kuwaiti companies operate across sectors such as finance, industry, real estate, tourism, and services.
In addition, joint investment projects between the two countries number approximately 1,431, reflecting the depth of economic collaboration.
Heiba highlighted hospitality and healthcare as particularly promising fields for Kuwaiti capital, citing strong returns and favorable incentives.
Egypt, he said, is in need of 300,000 additional hotel rooms and 150,000 more hospital beds in the coming years—figures that point to significant opportunities for strategic investment.
To attract further Gulf interest, Egypt is actively promoting successful Kuwaiti business cases and encouraging new entrants to take advantage of the country’s extensive network of trade agreements, which links Egypt to around 70 global markets.
Heiba emphasized that such agreements offer an ideal platform for export-oriented investment projects.
He also underlined that Kuwaiti investors are well-positioned to support Egypt’s goal of attracting $60 billion in total investments by 2030, thanks to their deep familiarity with the local market and consistent activity over the decades.
Meanwhile, bilateral trade between Egypt and Kuwait reached around $507 million in the past year, complementing the growing investment ties between the two nations.
Heiba noted that Egypt’s economy is now visibly benefiting from its recent financial, monetary, and investment reforms. In FY 2023/2024, the country recorded its highest-ever net foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, totaling $46.1 billion. This surge is attributed to improved infrastructure, exchange rate stability, increased availability of foreign currency, simplified tax procedures, and the digital transformation of investment and licensing processes.
