Egypt

Background

Nominally independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty following World War II. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile river in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The government has struggled to ready the economy for the new millennium through economic reform and massive investment in communications and physical infrastructure.

Egypt improved its macroeconomic performance throughout most of the last decade by following IMF advice on fiscal, monetary, and structural reform policies. As a result, Cairo managed to tame inflation, slash budget deficits, and attract more foreign investment. In the past three years, however, the pace of reform has slackened, and excessive spending on national infrastructure projects has widened budget deficits again. Lower foreign exchange earnings since 1998 resulted in pressure on the Egyptian pound and periodic dollar shortages. Monetary pressures have increased since 11 September 2001 because of declines in tourism, Suez canal tolls, and exports, and Cairo has devalued the pound several times in the past year. The development of a gas export market is a major bright spot for future growth prospects.

Holidays

Ps: Muslim festivals(*) are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. Besides, the Festivals' dates(~) are also subject to change in every year.

Phone Codes

Country Code: 20
Outgoing International Code: 00
Main Area Codes:
Alexandria 3
Aswan 97
Asyut 88
Benha 13
Cairo 2
Damanhour 45
El Mahallah (El Kubra) 43
El Mansoura 50
Luxor 95
Mahalah El Kobra 43
Oena 96
Port Said 66
Shebin El Kom 48
Sohag 93
Suez 62
Tanta 40

Resources

Market Research

Egypt Search
There is a search engine and web directory for Egypt that makes available to get more information about Egyptian business environment.

Egypt Trade
It is one-stop venue for the business community to search and find manufacturers, producers, exporters and importers from Egypt.

First Egypt
There is business and tourism portal, presenting general and cultural information about Egypt.

CIA - The World Factbook - Arab Republic of Egypt
This website indicates a wide range of detail information about Egypt by introducing under 8 different fields as its geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military, transnational issues.

About Egypt
There is available to find out Egypt's general outlook on the issues of its social and business profile, passport/visa, money, accommodation, government, duty free, health and so forth.

Egyptian Trading Directory
Egyptian Trading Directory offers services to provide assistance for the potential investors seeking factories, import and export companies, agents, banks, hotels, insurance companies & maritime companies in Egypt.

Business Today Egypt
It is a business news portal of Egypt that supplies recent events about business environment in Egypt.

Business & Economy in Egypt
There are listed the useful links related to Egyptian business & economy aiming to direct the investors while doing business in Egypt.

Google - Egypt
Google Directory organizes comprehensive database list for Egypt with related to business & investment opportunities in Egypt including private entrepreneurs' contact information.

Internet Business Mall - Egypt
It is the online extensive business directory of Egyptian businesses that represents industry specific category links including agriculture, shopping, business services, import and export, advertising , tourism, media, computer, communications & real estate.

Trade Guide for Egypt
There is available to get comprehensive information not only about Egyptian imports, export regulations and other formalities and documents related to commercial transactions but also main exported and imported products & trading partners in Egypt and so forth.

US Commercial Service - Egypt
There is available a country commercial guide for Egypt provided by the Department of Commerce that mainly covers economic trend and outlook, trade regulations, customs and standards, investment climate, trade and project financing, economic and trade statistics, trade event schedule related to Egypt.

Trade Information

US - Egypt Business Council
The main objectives of this Council are to facilitate private sector business growth in Egypt and to strengthen trade and investment ties between US & Egypt.

Trade and Economic Profile for Egypt
There is listed the significant Egyptian institutions, embassies, authorities, chambers' contact information for assisting investors.

Egypt Government
This website supplies a gateway for Egyptian government that contains all related institutions with Egypt in details.

American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt
It is the official website of American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt which is not only a business studies and analysis center for companies interested in doing business in Egypt but also provides information including country profile, laws of business, business incorporation, labor regulations, financial sector regulations, information, communications, taxation and international trade.

OPIC Links - Investor's Information Gateway for Egypt
There is available country database information links which are efficient for the new investors planned to do business in Egypt including the contact lists of the institutions, organization related to Egyptian business.

ICC Egypt
ICC Egypt is an ICC national committee. These national bodies comprise leading companies and business associations in their countries or territories. National committees shape ICC policies and alert their governments to international business concerns. Companies and business associations interested in joining are invited to contact ICC Egypt.

Embassy Listings For Egypt
There are listed the embassies of the Arab Republic of Egypt including the embassies' contact information.