Cairo aims to double the private sector’s share in the economy and strengthen market competitiveness.
Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli affirmed that empowering the private sector remains one of the State’s top priorities and a key pillar of its development agenda. On October 27, Madbouli chaired a meeting of the Supreme Committee for the State Ownership Policy Document, which reviewed third-year implementation progress and discussed the proposed vision for the document’s updated version.
Madbouli stressed that, three years after the document’s launch, the State is keen to reassess its targets and priorities in light of the evolving economic and geopolitical environment in the region. The goal, he said, is to reinforce the private sector’s role as a strategic partner in promoting sustainable growth and job creation, while enhancing Egypt’s regional and global competitiveness.
Osama El-Gohary, Assistant to the Prime Minister and Head of the Cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Center, said the policy’s implementation is based on three main pillars: the IPOs (State Offerings) Program, strengthening competitive neutrality, and governance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs). He emphasized that competitive neutrality is essential for improving the business environment and ensuring a level playing field for all economic actors.
Key reforms include the launch of the Egyptian Competition Authority’s 2021–2025 strategy, amendments to the Competition Protection and Anti-Monopoly Practices Law, and the abolition of preferential treatment for state-owned companies. These measures have been recognized by the World Bank and the International Competition Network, which awarded Egypt first prize for advancing competition policy in 2023. The Voluntary Peer Review Report on Egypt’s competition policy, released in December 2024, also commended the country’s progress.
The meeting approved the establishment of a Central Unit for the Listing, Oversight and Regulation of State-Owned Enterprises to enhance transparency and efficiency in managing public assets.
The updated document shifts the IPO program’s focus from asset sales to asset investment through strategic partnerships with the private sector and clearly defines the State’s roles as owner, regulator and policymaker. Key priorities include limiting the creation of new SOEs, strengthening the independence of SOE boards, and developing a clear policy for dividend distribution to enhance the efficiency of public-asset management.
The meeting was attended by ministers of finance, planning, energy, agriculture and investment, as well as representatives of The Sovereign Fund of Egypt and the Egyptian Competition Authority.
