Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan ElKhatib met with a delegation from S&P Global, led by Roberto Sifon Arévalo, Global Head of Sovereign and Multilateral Lending Institutions Ratings, and Benjamin Young, Managing Director and Head of Sovereign Ratings Sector for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, to discuss Egypt’s credit rating outlook, macroeconomic trends, and ongoing financial and institutional reforms. Representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank of Egypt, and J.P. Morgan also attended, Invest-Gate reports.

ElKhatib outlined the government’s long-term economic vision, centered on coordinated monetary, fiscal, and trade reforms, greater private-sector participation, and measures to enhance Egypt’s global competitiveness. He highlighted recent tax reforms boosting investor confidence, structural changes to ease non-tax financial burdens, and efforts to unify tax rates through digital platforms for greater transparency.

The minister emphasized digital transformation as a key enabler, citing the new Unified Investment Licensing e-Platform—covering 389 licenses from 41 government entities—with a 20-day processing cap, alongside upcoming launches such as the Economic Entities Platform. He also noted customs clearance times have been cut from 16 days to 5.8, with a target of two days by year-end.

El-Khatib said Egypt is advancing reforms in preparation for the World Bank’s Business Ready report, aiming to enter the top 50 global competitiveness rankings. He also presented the country’s first National Trade Strategy to expand exports, integrate into global value chains, and diversify markets. In parallel, a new FDI strategy prioritizes 13 key sectors, with detailed execution plans to follow.

S&P Global executives praised Egypt’s reform momentum, institutional coordination, and clear strategy linking trade and investment. They stressed that sustained reforms would strengthen investor confidence and improve Egypt’s creditworthiness over the medium to long term.