Egypt Expects ‘Remarkable’ Increase in Direct Investment

Hossam Haiba, CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), and other officials during a ceremony granting a golden license to establish a home appliances factory. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Hossam Haiba, CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), and other officials during a ceremony granting a golden license to establish a home appliances factory. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Egypt Expects ‘Remarkable’ Increase in Direct Investment

Hossam Haiba, CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), and other officials during a ceremony granting a golden license to establish a home appliances factory. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Hossam Haiba, CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), and other officials during a ceremony granting a golden license to establish a home appliances factory. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Hossam Haiba, CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), expected the Egyptian market to achieve a remarkable increase in direct investment in the coming period, following the huge presidential and governmental support to investment.

Haiba handed over two golden licenses to two manufacturers specializing in the production of home appliances and durable goods on the 10th of Ramadan City, bringing the total number of companies that obtained the golden license to 15 so far.

GAFI CEO emphasized that the future goal is that all investors obtain the golden license, to start pumping investments and establishing factories in the shortest time possible.

A statement issued by the GAFI revealed that the first golden license was received by Umit Günel, General Manager of Beko LLC. According to the license, Beko will establish a factory for the manufacture and assembly of durable consumer goods and electrical appliances.

The second license was received by Luis Alvarez, CEO of BSH Home Appliances, Egypt, and the owner of the trademark (Bosch), with the aim of establishing a factory for cookers and refrigerators.

Beko Egypt plans to complete the first phase of the factory by the end of this year, at an investment cost of USD 107 million. The factory will provide 1,300 direct job opportunities.

BSH Egypt will complete the first phase of its industrial project in the last quarter of next year, at an investment cost of 50 million euros ($53.5 million), creating 500 jobs.

The golden license is an all-inclusive approval whereby an enterprise can establish, operate and manage its project. It encompasses many permits including building permits and permits to allocate the necessary real estate for the project.

It is granted by a decree of the government to companies that establish strategic or national projects contributing to Egypt’s development.

During the past fiscal year 2021/2022, GAFI facilitated the procedures for establishing about 31,000 companies, in addition to facilitating the procedures for increasing the capital of another 2,000, with an increase of 9.4 percent in the number of firms.

Haiba added that the main factors that contributed to the decision to grant the golden license to the two companies are their plans to localize the technology of manufacturing home appliances in the Egyptian market and the target to export a large part of the products to foreign markets.

Such factors are consistent with Egypt's Vision 2030 and boost the Egyptian economy, he added.



Gold Prices Hold Steady as Investors Await US Fed Policy Cues

A participant shows gold bars during the 21st edition of the international gold and jewelry exhibition at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds in Kuwait City on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Yasser AL ZAYYAT / AFP)
A participant shows gold bars during the 21st edition of the international gold and jewelry exhibition at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds in Kuwait City on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Yasser AL ZAYYAT / AFP)
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Gold Prices Hold Steady as Investors Await US Fed Policy Cues

A participant shows gold bars during the 21st edition of the international gold and jewelry exhibition at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds in Kuwait City on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Yasser AL ZAYYAT / AFP)
A participant shows gold bars during the 21st edition of the international gold and jewelry exhibition at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds in Kuwait City on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Yasser AL ZAYYAT / AFP)

Gold prices remained steady on Wednesday, as investors awaited the US Federal Reserve's decision on interest rates due later in the day, while also focusing on US President Donald Trump's trade policies following his tariff threats.

Spot gold eased 0.2% to $2,758.49 per ounce by 09:55 a.m. ET (1455 GMT), while US gold futures rose 0.3% to $2,775.60, widening the premium over spot gold rates.

The Fed is scheduled to release its latest policy decision and statement at 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT), with Fed Chair Jerome Powell due to hold a press conference half an hour later to elaborate on the meeting.

The US central bank is widely expected to hold interest rates steady as it awaits further inflation and jobs data and more clarity on the economic impact of Trump's policies before deciding whether to cut borrowing costs again.

"However, the Fed's commentary in regards to the potential for an interest rate cut in the March meeting is going to be in focus," said David Meger, director of metals trading at High Ridge Futures.

Gold prices neared all-time highs last week after Trump called for lower interest rates. Bullion tends to thrive in a low-interest-rate environment as it yields no interest.

Prices, however, retreated sharply on Monday as a sell-off in technology stocks, driven by Chinese AI model DeepSeek, sparked a rush to liquidate bullion to counter losses, according to Reuters.

The sell-off in the stock market seen on Monday may not be over and the unpredictability of Trump's policies is contributing to an increased demand for gold as a safe-haven, said Jim Wyckoff, a senior market analyst at Kitco Metals.

Trump still plans to make good on his promise to issue tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and his policies are widely seen as inflationary.

Elsewhere, spot silver gained 1.7% to $30.92 per ounce, platinum also added 0.5% to $946.45. Palladium was up 0.8% to $962.50.