Egyptian Cabinet approves launch of economic entities platform to streamline investment procedures

Egypt's Cabinet has approved the launch of a national "economic entities platform" designed to streamline business procedures, standardize investor services and drive the country's digital transformation, the Cabinet said in a statement. The decision follows a review of the project's implementation progress and places the platform under the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade and the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI).

"The platform falls under the digital transformation initiatives of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade and the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI)," the Cabinet said, outlining the project's scope and institutional alignment.

The approved programme will include re-engineering of existing procedures, development of a digital platform, creation of a unified hosting environment and the appointment of a general consultant to steer implementation. Officials expect the platform to standardize business processes and enhance coordination among government entities, with the stated goal of improving the delivery of investor services and contributing to a more competitive business environment.

Project components and institutional roles

• Re-engineering of procedures: The initiative will review and redesign administrative steps involved in investment and business registration to reduce complexity and processing time.
• Digital platform development: A centralised online system will be built to host investor-facing services and administrative workflows.
• Unified hosting environment: The project includes technical consolidation to secure and streamline back-end infrastructure for government entities.
• General consultant appointment: A strategic advisor will be appointed to guide implementation and ensure interoperability across ministries and agencies.

Alongside the platform approval, the Cabinet cleared multiple investment and infrastructure decisions. It authorised an 869-megawatt wind power project to be implemented by French renewable energy company Voltalia on land allocated by the New and Renewable Energy Authority. Under the agreement Voltalia will pay $53 million and is expected to begin commercial operations by December 2028, with the company required to undertake all administrative procedures necessary to execute the project.

In the logistics and food-supply sector, the Cabinet granted a licence to an alliance comprising ASCO Foods and Misr Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Manufacturing Company (Miraco) to operate a dry port dedicated to frozen, chilled and dry food handling and storage. The facility will be established within Miraco's refrigeration area in Kafr El‑Gabal, Giza Governorate, on approximately 13 feddans and will operate under a model similar to the dry port in Al‑Amiriya owned by the National Company for Refrigeration and Supplies.

The Cabinet highlighted economic objectives for the dry port project, noting its intention to "reduce hard-currency outflows and lower the cost of essential food commodities for consumers." The combination of the economic entities platform and these sector-specific approvals signals a coordinated push to improve the investment climate while expanding energy and food logistics capacity.

Outlook

Officials will now move to operationalise the platform through technical procurement, consultant selection and inter-agency integration. If delivered on schedule and effectively integrated with existing public services, the platform could shorten approval timelines for businesses, centralise investor services and provide a foundation for further digital reforms across licensing, customs and sectoral regulators. Meanwhile, the Voltalia wind project and the Miraco dry port licence add near- to medium-term investment activity in renewable energy and cold‑chain logistics, sectors identified by policymakers as strategic for import substitution and economic resilience.