US companies, institutions pledge new investments in New York
INVESTMENT WATCH- In New York, US companies and institutions pledge new investment: The International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) executive board agreed to allocate USD 150 mn to investments in agricultural projects in Egypt, Investment Minister Sahar Nasr announced on Wednesday. The funding is earmarked for public-private partnership projects that look to develop the food manufacturing industry using modern techniques and state-of-the-art tech, the statement explains. The announcement came one day after El Sisi met with World Bank President Jim Yong Kim to discuss Egypt’s progress on economic reforms and ways to bolster cooperation with the international lender.
Uber gets even more bullish on Egypt: Ride-hailing app Uber is looking to expand in Egypt, the company’s Egypt General Manager, Abdellatif Waked, said following a meeting between El Sisi and the company’s head of public policy and communications in the Americas, Justin Kintz. Investment Minister Sahar Nasr expects the company to announce new investments in about three months’ time. Uber will launch a new bus service in Egypt as soon as the government passes legislation governing ride-hailing apps, the minister said. The new service “will look beyond Cairo to include other major governorates,” Quartz notes.
US companies coming in droves in October, November to look at new investments: US companies and fund managers will visit Egypt in October and are particularly interested in sectors including energy, infrastructure, healthcare, food production, tourism, engineering, and IT, Nasr said. Many of those visiting will be mulling follow-on investments in existing businesses here, statement from the ministry. The news came after a meeting between Nasr and 19 US businessmen at an event hosted by Beltone Financial Holding’s Auerbach Grayson in New York. Among those in attendance: Moon Capital Management, Concord International Investment, Mutima Capital Management, VanEck, and Victoria Capital.
Business council visit, AmCham forum: Separately, the Egyptian-American Business Council is meeting with a delegation of US companies in November to spur further investment. The American Chamber of Commerce is organizing an investment forum in Egypt for US investors, Nasr announced.