Egypt’s Economy Grew by 9.8% In Q1 FY 2021-22

A view of the city skyline and River Nile from Cairo tower building in the capital of Cairo, Egypt December 5, 2019. Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
A view of the city skyline and River Nile from Cairo tower building in the capital of Cairo, Egypt December 5, 2019. Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
TT

Egypt’s Economy Grew by 9.8% In Q1 FY 2021-22

A view of the city skyline and River Nile from Cairo tower building in the capital of Cairo, Egypt December 5, 2019. Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
A view of the city skyline and River Nile from Cairo tower building in the capital of Cairo, Egypt December 5, 2019. Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Egypt's economy grew by 9.8% in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2021-22 that began in July, compared with 0.7% in the same period last year, Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala al-Saeed said on Wednesday.

Egypt expects a GDP growth of 5.5-5.7% in FY 2021-22 that ends in June, she added.

Her remarks were made during a cabinet session chaired by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, during which she reviewed the initial indicators of the country’s economic performance in the first quarter.

The restaurant and hotel sector recorded the highest quarterly growth rate of about 181.8 percent, reflecting the remarkable recovery from the coronavirus repercussions.

The telecommunications, manufacturing and construction sectors registered a growth rate of 16.3%, about 15.2%, and 10.5%, respectively.

The minister reviewed the contributions of various economic activities to the GDP during the first quarter of the current fiscal year, noting that the most contributing sectors are manufacturing, agriculture, trade, and real estate activities.

Egypt’s inflation rate rose to 8% on an annual basis and 1.6% on a monthly basis during September, Saeed said, attributing the rise to the higher global prices of energy, food commodities and minerals.



Gold Firms; Focus on US Data for Cues on Fed's Policy Path

FILE PHOTO: A woman looks at a gold bangle inside a jewellery showroom at a market in Mumbai January 15, 2015. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade//File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A woman looks at a gold bangle inside a jewellery showroom at a market in Mumbai January 15, 2015. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade//File Photo
TT

Gold Firms; Focus on US Data for Cues on Fed's Policy Path

FILE PHOTO: A woman looks at a gold bangle inside a jewellery showroom at a market in Mumbai January 15, 2015. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade//File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A woman looks at a gold bangle inside a jewellery showroom at a market in Mumbai January 15, 2015. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade//File Photo

Gold prices hovered near a four-week peak on Thursday, while focus shifted to jobs report due on Friday for clarity on the Federal Reserve's 2025 interest rate path.
Spot gold edged 0.1% higher to $2,664.30 per ounce, as of 0732 GMT. US gold futures rose 0.4% to $2,681.80
"Prices are trading in a narrow range ... A new trigger is needed for gold to breach its resistance," said Ajay Kedia, director at Kedia Commodities in Mumbai.
The bullion hit a near four-week high in the previous session after a weaker-than-expected US private employment report hinted that the Fed may be less cautious about easing rates this year.
The market now awaits US jobs report on Friday for more cues on the Fed's policy path.
Investors are also awaiting Donald Trump to take office on Jan. 20 and his proposed tariffs and protectionist policies are expected to fuel inflation.
Policymakers at the Fed's last meeting also "noted that recent higher-than-expected readings on inflation, and the effects of potential changes in trade and immigration policy, suggested that the process could take longer than previously anticipated," the minutes showed on Wednesday.
Bullion is considered an inflationary hedge, but high rates reduce the non-yielding asset's allure.
"We believe the bulk of the rally has been put in and that while gold's upward momentum may carry it higher in the near term and in early 2025, a combination of physical and financial market factors may tame the rally and drive gold moderately lower by the end of next year," HSBC said in a note.
Elsewhere, physically-backed gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) registered their first inflow in four years, the World Gold Council said.
Spot silver added 0.2% to $30.17 per ounce, platinum dropped 0.3% to $952.54 and palladium shed 0.8% to $921.37.