Egypt’s Public Investments Grow 535% In 6 Years

 Egyptian Minister of Planning Hala Al-Saeed (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Egyptian Minister of Planning Hala Al-Saeed (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Egypt’s Public Investments Grow 535% In 6 Years

 Egyptian Minister of Planning Hala Al-Saeed (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Egyptian Minister of Planning Hala Al-Saeed (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Egyptian Minister of Planning Hala Al-Saeed said that her country expects growth rate to range between six and seven percent in the second quarter of the current fiscal year.

She stressed that the government has been keen to maintain the boom achieved in public investments improve the quality of life, upgrade the level of services, and stimulate comprehensive and sustainable economic growth.

In this regard, the minister noted that the volume of public investments in the current during 2021-2022 amounted to about 933 billion pounds ($59 billion), with a growth rate of 46 percent compared to the previous year, and an increase of 535 percent compared to the 2014-2015.

Saeed was speaking on Tuesday, during the third edition of the Egypt Economic Summit, which is held under the auspices of the Council of Ministers.

She said that the cumulative total of public investments during the period of 2014-2022 amounted to about 3.6 trillion pounds ($230 billion), and the per capita share of public investments this fiscal year increased by 44 percent compared to the previous year, and by 440 percent compared to 2014-2015.

Saeed emphasized the government’s determination to pump huge investments to boost the economy at an accelerated pace, by pushing the wheel of investment, production and employment in all economic sectors, and focusing on developing infrastructure and advancing the human and social development sectors.

Saeed added that despite the relative recovery of global economic indicators with an expected growth rate of 5.9 percent in 2021, the effects of the pandemic are still present, especially with the emergence of new variants and their negative repercussions on the supply chains worldwide.



King Abdulaziz Int’l Airport Records Increase in Passenger Traffic in November 2025

King Abdulaziz International Airport recorded notable growth in operational performance during November 2025. (SPA)
King Abdulaziz International Airport recorded notable growth in operational performance during November 2025. (SPA)
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King Abdulaziz Int’l Airport Records Increase in Passenger Traffic in November 2025

King Abdulaziz International Airport recorded notable growth in operational performance during November 2025. (SPA)
King Abdulaziz International Airport recorded notable growth in operational performance during November 2025. (SPA)

King Abdulaziz International Airport recorded notable growth in operational performance during November 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

The total number of passengers reached 4.86 million, marking an increase of 8.6 percent, while the total number of flights reached 25,900, reflecting a growth of 10.6 percent.

The airport recorded its highest operating day on November 20, 2025, serving more than 176,800 passengers in a single day, representing a 9.6 percent increase compared to the peak day recorded in November 2024. The total number of handled baggage items also rose to 5.6 million, registering a year-on-year growth of 25.4 percent.

From the beginning of 2025 through November 30, the total number of passengers reached 48 million, an increase of 8.9 percent compared to the same period in 2024. Over the same period, the number of flights reached 273,700, reflecting an increase of 8.2 percent.

These figures highlight the continued expansion of services at King Abdulaziz International Airport, one of the region's most prominent aviation hubs. They also underscore ongoing efforts to enhance operational efficiency and provide a seamless and comfortable travel experience, supporting increased travel options and contributing to the growth of tourism and trade.


French Economy Likely to Grow at Least 0.8% in 2025, Finance Minister Says

French Minister for Economy, Finance, and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty Roland Lescure attends the 7th formal meeting of the Franco-Chinese Business Council in Beijing on December 4, 2025. (Reuters)
French Minister for Economy, Finance, and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty Roland Lescure attends the 7th formal meeting of the Franco-Chinese Business Council in Beijing on December 4, 2025. (Reuters)
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French Economy Likely to Grow at Least 0.8% in 2025, Finance Minister Says

French Minister for Economy, Finance, and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty Roland Lescure attends the 7th formal meeting of the Franco-Chinese Business Council in Beijing on December 4, 2025. (Reuters)
French Minister for Economy, Finance, and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty Roland Lescure attends the 7th formal meeting of the Franco-Chinese Business Council in Beijing on December 4, 2025. (Reuters)

Unless there is a sharp reversal in the final three months of the year, the French economy is likely to grow by at least 0.8% in 2025, outpacing the 0.7% that the government had anticipated, Finance Minister Roland Lescure said on Sunday.

"We will most likely exceed the government's growth forecast for this year. We had predicted 0.7%, but I think we will have at least 0.8%. That's good news," Lescure told LCI television.

"So we would really need to have a bad fourth quarter, which I don't believe will happen, for us to be below 0.8%, so 0.8% is within reach," he added.

France's economy grew 0.5% in the third quarter, final data from statistics office INSEE showed in November, reflecting resilience in the euro zone's second-largest economy.


Saudi Real Estate Shifts from Temporary Upswing to Operational Maturity

Real estate projects in Riyadh (SPA) 
Real estate projects in Riyadh (SPA) 
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Saudi Real Estate Shifts from Temporary Upswing to Operational Maturity

Real estate projects in Riyadh (SPA) 
Real estate projects in Riyadh (SPA) 

Saudi Arabia’s listed real estate sector recorded an exceptional and unprecedented transformation in the third quarter of 2025, with profits surging more than sixfold. Total earnings jumped 633.6 percent to $496 million (SAR 1.86 billion), compared with $67.5 million a year earlier, an indication that the industry has entered a phase of sustained operational maturity rather than a short-term cyclical rebound.

The sharp rise reflects the companies’ success in restructuring their product portfolios, enhancing cash flows, and shifting from “paper growth” to revenue-driven expansion supported by project deliveries and operational income.

Sector analysts attributed the leap in profitability to the rollout of major real estate projects in large cities, higher project quality, improved financing conditions, and stronger liquidity.

They noted that the leap aligns with the rapid expansion of Saudi Arabia’s non-oil economy, which now contributes about 56 percent of GDP. This has strengthened demand across residential, commercial, industrial, and office real estate, supporting profit growth alongside recent regulatory reforms.

During the first nine months of 2025, listed real estate firms achieved combined profits of $1.44 billion (SAR 5.4 billion), led by Cenomi Centers, Jabal Omar, and Masar (Umm Al-Qura for Development and Construction) - a 244 percent increase from the same period in 2024.

Financial disclosures show that nine out of sixteen listed developers reported higher profits in Q3, while four companies returned to profitability. Masar topped the sector in Q3 with SAR 516.6 million in earnings, up 341.9 percent year-on-year. Cenomi Centers ranked second with SAR 499.8 million, a rise of 52.2 percent, followed by Dar Al-Arkan, whose profits climbed 89 percent to SAR 255.6 million.

Real estate specialist Abdullah Al-Mousa told Asharq Al-Awsat that the historic profit surge confirms the sector has “entered a stage of operational maturity,” reflecting companies’ improved efficiency, stronger recurring revenues, and the successful transition to asset-operation models.

He identified three key drivers: higher-quality projects and stronger occupancy across income-generating assets; improved financing conditions amid stabilizing interest rates; and the completion of major projects, particularly in Riyadh and Makkah.

Al-Mousa expects continued positive performance in coming quarters, though at a more moderate pace, supported by new strategic projects entering operation, sustained housing demand, rising commercial activity in Riyadh, and ongoing regulatory reforms that reduce risk and attract institutional investment.

Real estate analyst Salman Saeed said the strength of the non-oil economy has sharply boosted demand in housing, retail, industrial, and office markets. He highlighted reforms such as the expansion of the white-land tax and rental-regulation measures, along with significant government support for homeownership, which has raised the share of Saudi citizens owning homes.

Saeed noted that rising demand for commercial and office space, driven by multinational companies relocating to Riyadh, has lifted occupancy rates and diversified developers’ income streams. Some firms also improved results through land sales and divestment of non-core assets, enhancing operational efficiency.