File Photo: A view of Cairo. AFP
Seventy percent of the EBRD’s investment in Egypt went to the private sector, while 60 percent was directed to green finance projects. Almost half of the funding supported initiatives with a gender equality component.
Egypt's investment was part of a record 2.8 billion euros deployed by the EBRD across 65 projects in six southern and eastern Mediterranean (SEMED) economies in 2025, including Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, and the West Bank and Gaza. The total marked an increase from 2.4 billion euros invested in the region in 2024, making SEMED the bank’s third-largest regional recipient in 2025.
The EBRD also mobilized 747 million euros in private investment in the region in 2025, up from 514 million euros in 2024.
In Egypt, the bank provided 200 million euros to the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) to support electricity grid upgrades and the integration of additional renewable energy capacity. The financing marks the EBRD’s first investment in Egypt’s electricity grid under the country’s NWFE programme.
Supporting digital infrastructure, the EBRD and Banque Misr extended a 68-million-euro syndicated loan to Orange Egypt to finance its 5G licence.
The bank also continued backing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), women- and youth-led businesses, and corporate clients in sectors including manufacturing, services, agribusiness, and pharmaceuticals.
Since beginning operations in Egypt in 2012, the EBRD has financed 206 projects worth more than 13.5 billion euros, with nearly two-thirds directed to the private sector. Investments cover renewable energy, transport, financial services, and infrastructure.
In its latest economic outlook report, the bank expected Egypt’s real GDP growth to reach 5.3 percent in 2026, supported by easing inflation, stronger foreign exchange (FX) liquidity, private-sector activity, infrastructure investment, and a rebound in tourism and exports.
Regional investment highlights
In Jordan, the EBRD invested 201 million euros across 10 projects in 2025, with 86 percent directed to the private sector. Green finance accounted for more than 44 percent of the total, while 80 percent supported projects aimed at increasing women's and youth participation in the workforce.
Morocco received a record 895 million euros in EBRD investment in 2025, up from 530 million euros in 2024. Over 80 percent of the funding was allocated to green finance, including a 300-million-euro sustainability-linked loan to the state-owned utility ONEE and 150 million euros for the final phase of the Saïss Water Conservation Programme.
In Tunisia, the bank invested 398 million euros across 12 projects, including a 50-million-euro tranche of a development-linked loan to Tunisie Telecom to support its transition from 4G to 5G and the expansion of fibre networks.
The EBRD also launched its first investment in Iraq following the approval of the country’s economic operation status in 2025, providing a $100 million trade finance facility to the National Bank of Iraq.
In Lebanon, the bank focused on trade finance and advisory support for small businesses, while 28 million euros was invested in the West Bank and Gaza through six transactions aimed at supporting the Palestinian economy.
The EBRD said it continued to scale up policy engagement and technical cooperation across the SEMED region, with a focus on green transition, skills development, and governance reforms, supported by strong donor backing, including from the European Union and several multilateral financing institutions.
Short link: