Under the Kind Patronage of H.E. President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt

The 3rd Cairo Investment Forum 2008
December 21-22, 2008

Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel Cairo

The 3rd Cairo Investment Forum will be held on the 21st and 22nd of December 2008 at the Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel in Cairo. As a major economic event in Egypt and the region, the forum will once again provide the ideal opportunity to follow up on developments in the Egyptian economy, the ongoing process of economic reform, investment prospects and opportunities, and the challenges ahead for economic policy in light of the international financial crisis.

The Egyptian economy continued on a pace of rapid economic growth in 2008, with real growth of 7% for the year 2007, while direct foreign investment maintained its upward momentum and reached US$11 billion for the fiscal year 2006/07. However, with the rapidly changing world’s economic situation; challenges arise. Including rising food prices, decline in the dollar exchange rates which resulted in higher inflation rates; in addition to the pressure coming from lower income class to benefit from the economic growth.

Notwithstanding these ongoing hurdles in the international economy, the Egyptian government is still moving ahead with more persistence with fierce reform efforts that aim at maintaining a healthy rate of growth, reducing unemployment, increasing per capita income, increasing wages. Moreover, the government’s agenda in the upcoming phase includes a new package of tax, customs and banking reforms, measures to improve management of the budget deficit, export development, encouraging the use of renewable and alternative energy, and agricultural development. Increasing the flow of foreign and Arab investments into Egypt remains a priority,

With one of the largest economies in the Arab world, Egypt will be at the center of what are expected to be major developments in the region and the world economy during 2009. The Third Cairo Investment Forum will be an ideal and timely opportunity to follow up on recent economic and business conditions in the country, as well as to acquire an in depth perspective on expected developments and the government's economic strategy going forward.

The agenda will focus on the following topics:

• Impact of the global crisis on the Arab world and Egypt.
• Enhanced investment climate and the remaining areas for more improvement. 
• Economic, social, and financial returns of the Arab and Foreign investment flows in Egypt.
• Investment Opportunities in Healthcare services sector. 
• Developments in the Industrial Zones and Egypt’s success story in industrial export. 
• Tourism and real estate development prospects and investment opportunities. 
• Performance of the IT sector in Egypt and prospects. 
• Plans for agricultural development in Egypt and new opportunities for investment in agriculture. 
• Investment Opportunities in Renewable and Alternative Energy in Egypt and the Arab World.

As in the last two rounds, the 3rd Cairo Investment Forum is expected to attract a large and high-powered level of participation including ministers and government officials, the heads of major Arab corporations, banks and financial institutions, and leading economists and experts from Egypt, the Arab world and other countries, as well as representatives of Arab and international funds and development organizations.

The 3rd Cairo Investment Forum is held under the kind patronage of H.E. Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, President of the Republic of Egypt and is organized by Egypt's Ministry of Investment, the General Authority for Investment (GAFI) and Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal Group.