Egypt Triple Tourism: New Taskforce And Golden Licence Driving Investment For Millions Of Tourists By 2030

Published on December 10, 2025

A pivotal and highly anticipated meeting was convened on Sunday at the New Administrative Capital, where the foundations for a major national economic overhaul were laid. The gathering was necessitated by the growing recognition that a concentrated, unified effort is required to capitalize on Egypt’s immense historical and natural endowments. High-level strategies for national development were discussed, specifically focusing on generating increased tourism investment across the entire nation. This collaborative session was attended by three prominent governmental figures: Hassan El-Khatib, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade; Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities; and Sherif El-Sherbiny, Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities. The objective was clearly defined: to establish concrete mechanisms for strengthening and accelerating capital injection into Egypt’s tourism sector, a critical pillar of the national economy.

A National Priority: Forging the Path for Tourism Growth

The consensus reached by the ministerial representatives confirms that the expansion of tourist numbers must be advanced as a national project, thereby reflecting the elevated priority assigned to the tourism sector by the highest political leadership. This designation elevates the sector’s status, ensuring that bureaucratic hurdles are swiftly dismantled and cross-ministerial coordination is maximized. The sheer potential for job creation, foreign currency generation, and cultural exchange underscores why such a concerted effort is deemed essential for future prosperity. The current framework, while functional, was determined to be inadequate for the scale of growth being targeted. Therefore, a complete restructuring of the approach to tourism development is being implemented, focusing on scalability and sustainability.

Streamlining Investment: The Vision of Minister El-Khatib

Under the guidance of Minister Hassan El-Khatib, significant attention is currently being directed towards restructuring the national investment procedures. A systematic cataloging of all licensing bodies and associated fees is being meticulously undertaken. This detailed process is a precursor to the integration of this information into a unified digital platform, a technological leap intended to transform the investment landscape. This digital solution is specifically designed to streamline application processes, dramatically cut associated timelines, and ease the overall regulatory burden placed upon investors across all sectors, with particular emphasis being reserved for the strategic tourism industry. The successful implementation of such a platform is expected to minimize uncertainty and provide investors with a clear, predictable pathway from project conception to operational launch.

Cultivating Opportunities: The Tourism and Antiquities Mandate

The perspective of the tourism sector was robustly represented by Minister Sherif Fathy, who articulated that boosting investment, in full alignment with the State’s ambitious objectives, is contingent upon several key regulatory reforms. A primary focus is being placed upon the issuance of pre-approvals for all land parcels specifically designated for tourism projects. By resolving land use and zoning prior to investor engagement, a major source of project delay and risk is effectively eliminated. Similarly, accelerating the requisite administrative procedures needed to begin immediate operations was underscored as a non-negotiable step toward attracting capital. Furthermore, the importance of regulating and fixing associated fees for a set, predictable period was highlighted. These collective steps, it was asserted, are fundamental to encouraging robust flows of foreign direct investment and, consequently, enhancing the intrinsic value of Egypt’s extensive portfolio of world-class tourism assets.

Infrastructure and Partnerships: The Housing Ministry’s Role

The crucial role of infrastructure and urban planning in facilitating tourism investment was detailed by Minister Sherif El-Sherbiny. The imperative to expedite all approvals related to land licensing was reiterated, with the key stipulation that these licenses must be issued in advance of land being officially offered to potential investors. This forward-looking approach ensures that developers receive ready-to-build sites, significantly compressing the project development cycle. Furthermore, the necessity of strengthening public–private partnership models was emphasized, particularly through the development of tailored frameworks specifically designed for hotel development and related real estate ventures.

The Joint Taskforce and Future Outlook

In conclusion, the meeting culminated in a decisive agreement that formally cemented the commitment to treating tourism expansion as a top-tier national priority. To ensure the strategic and operational goals are met, it was agreed that a unified joint taskforce would be immediately formed. This high-level group is to be comprised of key representatives from the three respective ministries Investment and Foreign Trade, Tourism and Antiquities, and Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities along with all their affiliated governmental bodies. The primary mandate of this joint taskforce is the rapid development of a single, unified tourism investment plan.

The final plan will serve as the definitive roadmap, meticulously outlining specific investment models, comprehensive partnership frameworks, and tangible mechanisms designed to stimulate a substantial increase in foreign investment within Egypt’s tourism sector. The overarching objective remains the ambitious goal of tripling tourist arrivals in the coming years, a target that is now supported by an unprecedented level of inter-ministerial cooperation and a renewed national focus on economic transformation. The coordinated effort is widely viewed as a watershed moment for the sector, poised to unlock substantial growth potential.