Who is benefiting from Egypt’s economic growth? Professional freelancers and contractors, according to data from contractor recruitment and management firm 6CATS International. The country saw a 73% y-o-y increase in hires of freelance professional between January and May of this year, on the back of a growth in business activity. “There’s certainly been a growth in business activity in Egypt that is leading to a significant increase in demand for contract professionals to plug talent gaps. What we’re seeing is that this positivity is being reflected across multiple areas, ranging from pharma and technical engineering to solar energy and offshore oil & gas,” CEO Michelle Reilly said of the statistics.

This increase was equally split between local professionals and European nationals. “For contractors, and the agencies that place them overseas, Egypt is certainly likely to be a destination of choice in the near future,” Reilly added. She noted, however, cumbersome employment and visa requirements for foreigners to work here.