Egypt to Increase GDP Growth to 5.4%

A factory employee carries cloth in a thread spinning factory in Cairo, Egypt July 5, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
A factory employee carries cloth in a thread spinning factory in Cairo, Egypt July 5, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
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Egypt to Increase GDP Growth to 5.4%

A factory employee carries cloth in a thread spinning factory in Cairo, Egypt July 5, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
A factory employee carries cloth in a thread spinning factory in Cairo, Egypt July 5, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Egypt’s Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said that the country aims to reduce the budget deficit to 6.7 percent and increase the GDP growth to 5.4 percent.

On the sidelines of the 2021 International Monetary Fund and World Bank fall meetings, the minister said that the government adopts a financial policy balancing between maintaining financial stability, supporting manufacturing and export activities, and strengthening social protection networks.

During the fiscal year 2020/2021, Egypt posted a gross domestic product growth of 3.3 percent, a primary surplus of 1.45 percent of GDP, and an overall budget deficit of 7.4 percent, according to the minister.

For the current fiscal year, the government targets to achieve a GDP growth of 5.4 percent, a primary surplus of 1.5 percent, and an overall budget deficit of 6.7 percent.

Egypt's government debt to the GDP reached 91 percent at the end of the past year, and the purpose is to reduce it to less than 90 percent during the current fiscal year, Maait added.

In another context, Egypt's oil minister said on Sunday that foreign investments in the sector fell 26.02% to $5.4 billion in the financial year 2020-21, versus $7.3 billion a year earlier.

"The coronavirus crisis led to a slowdown in investments from international oil companies worldwide," Tarek El Molla said in a speech to the Egyptian Petroleum Association.

Molla said that Egypt's arrears to foreign oil firms decreased to $845 million by the end of the financial year 2020-2021, from $850 million a year earlier.



Non-oil Private Sector Growth Boosts Saudi Arabia’s Economic Expansion

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
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Non-oil Private Sector Growth Boosts Saudi Arabia’s Economic Expansion

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector continued to witness steady improvements in operating conditions during May, mainly driven by an expansion in new business and a recovery in customer demand.

This strong performance underscores the resilience of Saudi Arabia’s non-oil economy and its capacity to achieve sustainable growth.

The Riyad Bank Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose in May, reaching 55.8 points, indicating a strong improvement in business conditions, though still below the peak recorded earlier this year.

These positive figures reflect growing confidence in the sector’s future, with output expectations reaching an 18-month high, signaling operational readiness for continued growth in the second half of the year.

Key findings of the PMI show a notable acceleration in new order growth during May, following a slowdown in April. Companies attributed this increase to stronger demand, robust sales performance, and new marketing initiatives. New orders from abroad also grew, although at the slowest pace in the past seven months.

This positive momentum was mirrored in employment levels, as companies increased their workforce to meet rising production requirements, marking one of the fastest hiring rates in over a decade.

The workforce growth was accompanied by a surge in purchasing activity, which saw its fastest rise since March 2024, reflecting improved supply chain flexibility.

The Kingdom’s non-oil private sector is showing strong confidence in the future, with business expectations reaching their highest level since late 2023.

Business activity rose in May, driven by increased customer demand and production needs, although the overall rate of growth was the slowest since last September. The construction sector played a key role in this growth, recording the strongest increases in both activity and new business.

Despite this strong performance, non-oil firms faced a sharp rise in input costs during May. However, inflation slowed compared to April due to reduced wage pressures.

Conversely, selling prices declined in May, driven by a sharp drop in service sector prices, with companies citing competitive pressures impacting their pricing power.

Commenting on these results, Dr. Naif Al-Ghaith, Chief Economist at Riyad Bank, affirmed that Saudi Arabia’s non-oil economy maintained its strong momentum in May.

He noted that improving demand, robust economic activity, the launch of new projects, and increased labor productivity all contributed to continued growth, despite the pace slowing to its lowest level since September 2024.