INVESTMENT WATCH- Emirati company SEED Group is planning to expand its investments in Egypt during the coming period, CEO Hisham Al Gurg tells Al Shorouk. The company, which is owned by Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum and has holdings from tech and healthcare to real estate and tourism, has already signed a franchising agreement with an unnamed Egyptian company as a precursor to several investment agreements that remain under study, according to Al Gurg. The chief executive did not provide any further details on the size, nature, or timeline of the company’s planned investments.

Should we expect a new wave of Emirati investments in Egypt? The Masdar and SEED announcements came on the sidelines of the first meeting of the Egyptian-Emirati Economic Committee, led by Trade and Industry Minister Tarek Kabil and UAE Economy Minister Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori. The two sides had agreed to lower trade barriers and agreed to cooperate on bolstering investment in renewable energy, electricity, and water resources, according to a Trade and Industry Ministry statement. Both sides also agreed to unify trade standards inspection procedures and signed MoUs to facilitate promotion of private sector investments through trade shows.