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)
TT

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.



Trump Uncertainties Push Safe-haven Gold to Near all-time Highs

FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo
TT

Trump Uncertainties Push Safe-haven Gold to Near all-time Highs

FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo

Gold prices soared to near three-month highs on Wednesday, trading below its record peak, fuelled by a soft dollar and lack of clarity around US President Donald Trump's policy plans, which investors fear could trigger trade wars and elevate market volatility.

Spot gold added 0.3% to $2,753.79 per ounce as of 9:45 a.m. ET (1445 GMT). Prices were at their highest since Oct. 31 when they hit their all-time-high of $2,790.15.

US gold futures gained 0.2% to $2,764.80.

The dollar index dipped to a more-than-three-week low, making greenback-priced bullion less expensive for holders of other currencies, Reuters reported.

"There are uncertainties with proposed tariffs and other things, and gold typically does well when there's a large or even a moderate amount of uncertainty in the market, it's a natural place where people gravitate to," said Ryan McIntyre, Senior Portfolio Manager at Sprott Asset Management.

Trump said his administration was discussing imposing a 10% tariff on goods imported from China on Feb. 1, the same day that he previously said Mexico and Canada could face levies of around 25%.

Gold is often viewed as a haven during times of economic and geopolitical turmoil, but Trump's proposed policies are broadly regarded as inflationary, potentially compelling the US Federal Reserve to sustain elevated interest rates for an extended period to rein in rising price pressures.

Trump has not provided many details about his proposed tariffs, making investors question the aggressiveness of the move, and the depth of its potential impacts.

"(Trump) has been perhaps just a shade less hawkish on tariffs as feared which helps - less/lower tariffs is taken to indicate lower inflation hence potential for more rate cuts," said Tai Wong, an independent metals trader.

Spot silver fell 0.6% to $30.68, but hovered near a one-month high hit on Jan. 16.

Platinum rose 0.3% to $946.50 and palladium gained 1.9% to $975.27.