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Arab Finance: Minister of Trade and Investment Hassan El-Khatib reviewed Egypt’s economic reform program, on the sidelines of the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos.
The program focuses on maximizing the efficiency of the state's assets, transitioning to a green economy, and enhancing private sector participation, El-Khatib highlighted in an interview with Bloomberg.
The state has adopted a new approach in managing its assets, based on re-planning and boosting efficiency and economic return, the minister said.
This approach has contributed to achieving real added value, including the redevelopment of one project, which expanded from only about 300 rooms to a fully integrated hotel facility with approximately 1,800 rooms.
As for the renewable energy sector, he indicated that Egypt possesses massive capabilities in the field, with its theoretical potential exceeding 1,000 gigawatts of solar and wind power, compared to an actual consumption of no more than 40 gigawatts.
The Western Desert alone is capable of generating 700 gigawatts, in addition to 200 gigawatts of floating solar power.
Addressing the subsidy system, the state has succeeded in restructuring energy pricing, particularly for natural gas, by adopting pricing mechanisms that reflect the average actual cost.
This bridged the gaps that were leading to an annual deficit of nearly $2 billion in the gas sector, thus supporting financial sustainability, enhancing resource efficiency, and creating an attractive investment climate.
El-Khatib affirmed that these policies have a fundamental role in building a competitive economy based on investment, sustainability, maximizing added value, and strengthening Egypt's position as a regional energy and investment hub.
