Egypt wants to move state-owned enterprises to its sovereign wealth fund, minister says

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ABU DHABI: Egypt aims to move state-owned enterprises to be managed by the country’s sovereign wealth fund, to maximize the return on state assets, Investment Minister Hassan El-Khatib said on Wednesday.

Egypt has been divesting state assets under a program to boost the role of the private sector, a requirement imposed by the International Monetary Fund for an expanded $8 billion loan.

“I want to move the state-owned enterprises in batches to the (sovereign wealth) fund to manage, to maximize the return on, say, state assets,” Khatib told the Investopia 2025 conference in Abu Dhabi.

Egypt’s $12 billion sovereign wealth fund was established in 2018 in an aim to foster private sector partnerships and help foreign investment to flow into state-owned companies. But the government and military have been hesitant to relinquish control over some assets.

However, the government has been trying expedite the program, seeking to sell stakes in at least 10 companies in 2025, including two military-owned companies.

“I see we have a lot of good companies. As we move them, get the private sector to run them, have the proper governance, partner with the private sector, list in some cases. So the perception of the sovereign wealth fund will be maximization of yield on the return value and the valuation,” Khatib added.