Egypt Grants Golden Licences to All New Saudi Investment Projects

Egypt will now offer its fast-tracked “golden licence” to all new Saudi investment projects, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced during a meeting with a visiting Saudi delegation. The move is aimed at accelerating approvals for Gulf investors and removing administrative bottlenecks for projects deemed of national importance.

Launched in 2022, the golden licence serves as a single comprehensive permit for investment projects, enabling businesses to bypass multiple approval stages from various government agencies. The licence is designed to support strategic initiatives by offering access to land and, in some cases, tax exemptions or customs incentives. With this policy shift, new Saudi ventures in Egypt will be automatically eligible for the licence without having to go through Egypt’s standard evaluation processes.

The decision comes amid a broader push to deepen economic ties between the two countries. As of 2024, Saudi Arabia holds USD 35 billion in investments in Egypt, with plans to raise that figure to USD 50 billion over the next five years. In October 2024, the two governments signed an Investment Protection Convention and launched a joint council to oversee bilateral projects and economic cooperation.

According to official figures, over 7,000 Saudi companies are currently active in Egypt, with nearly 700,000 Saudi citizens residing in the country.