Dr. Mohamed Awad, CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), participated in the “Egypt Takes Off through Exports” Initiative Conference in Damietta Governorate, in the presence of Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade (MIFT Minister), and Dr. Hossam El-Din Fawzi, Governor of Damietta. In his speech, Dr. Awad reviewed GAFI’s efforts to support investors and create a conducive investment environment, particularly for export-oriented investments.
Dr. Awad said that GAFI supports investors throughout their investment journey, which consists of three stages. The first is the opportunity exploration stage. One of GAFI’s key tools at this stage is the Investment Map of Egypt, which currently includes 1,330 diverse investment opportunities across various sectors, including opportunities in Damietta Governorate.
At the second stage, GAFI provides incorporation and licensing services, either through its electronic portal or through 15 Investor Service Centers (ISCs) distributed across Egypt. The ISCs provide incorporation and post-incorporation services through 67 investment-related entities, whose representatives are permanently present at the ISCs to provide investors with all the services they need in one place.
At the third stage, the Investor Care Portal, launched by Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh last month, provides a unified platform for receiving investors’ complaints and proposals, with round-the-clock follow-up mechanisms to expedite the resolution of any obstacles facing investors.
During the conference, GAFI CEO also reviewed the framework of incentives and facilitation measures provided under Investment Law No. 72 of 2017, including the Golden License, which consolidates all the permits required by an investor into a comprehensive approval and is granted to projects with developmental impact.
GAFI also provides specialized support to entrepreneurs and startups through the Fekretak Sherketak (Your Idea, Your Company) Center, which supports entrepreneurs in transforming their ideas into fast-growing companies by connecting them with business incubators and accelerators and providing free technical and legal consultations. This contributes to accelerating the growth of such types of companies, which provide innovative solutions that serve the Egyptian economy.
