Mr. Hossam Heiba, the Chief Executive Officer of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones GAFI CEO, announced that Egypt’s first investment zone dedicated to medical tourism will commence operations next May. The zone, spanning 40 feddans on the banks of the Nile in Giza Governorate, is designed to serve as a world-class model for medical tourism—an area in which Egypt possesses all potentials of success.
These announcements were made during Heiba’s participation in the third edition of the Global Conference on Population, Health and Human Development (PHDC’25), organized by the Ministry of Health and Population.
These developments come as a natural extension of the breakthrough agreement concluded in 2024 between GAFI CEO and Chairman and CEO of Maxim Investment Group (MIG), Dr. Mohamed Karrar, for the development and operation of the Naya Wellness Resort in Al-Saff Investment Zone—poised to be Egypt’s first flagship destination for medical tourism in line with the State’s strategy to expand investment in the health sector.
On his part, Heiba noted that investment opportunities in the medical tourism sector are among the most attractive, given that they combine the competitive strengths of both the tourism and healthcare sectors—each witnessing rising demand domestically and internationally. The main challenge, he explained, had long been the large number of permits required. To address this, the Investment Zones Department at GAFI now acts on behalf of investors in obtaining all necessary licenses, and is working with the relevant state bodies on the rollout of the unified government licensing platform, which will enable investors to secure permits from 42 government entities within just 20 business days.
Heiba added that GAFI continues to promote investment opportunities in the health sector during its international roadshows, while also supporting start-ups in developing innovative solutions to enhance services linked to medical tourism. He remarked that countries facing population aging—such as Japan and the European Union—are increasingly interested in establishing medical and wellness tourism facilities in Egypt to serve their citizens, many of whom already view Egypt as one of the world’s most attractive tourist destinations.
On his part, Karrar stated that MIG is working to build a fully integrated medical tourism ecosystem, covering every step of the visitor’s journey from arrival in Egypt until departure. Achieving this goal, he emphasized, requires continuous efforts to develop specialized expertise and strong coordination with all relevant government agencies.
Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, announced that the unified e-platform for health tourism—launched in parallel with PHDC’25—will enable applicants to obtain medical tourism visas for Egypt, with approvals issued within a maximum of 72 hours.
On another level, Dr. Heba Safwat Abdel Razek, General Manager of Elixir Clinic in the United Arab Emirates, affirmed that Egypt has all the necessary potentials to lead the region in medical tourism, given its human capital, climatic and geographic diversity, and well-established infrastructure.
