CAIRO - Egypt's economy expanded about 5.3 percent in the first quarter of the 2018/2019 fiscal year that began in July compared with the same quarter last year, Planning Minister Hala al-Saeed said on Wednesday.

She said in a statement that the highest growth was expected to come from the gas, communications and construction sectors and from the Suez Canal.

(Reporting by Momen Saeed Atallah; Writing by Sami Aboudi; Editing by Hugh Lawson) ((Sami.Aboudi@thomsonreuters.com; +20 223 948 181;))