Cairo - Egypt offers ‘very real' opportunities particularly when it comes to the energy and infrastructure sectors, said the managing director of Qalaa Holdings, an African leader in energy and infrastructure. Karim Sadek was speaking in a panel discussion that addressed challenges and opportunities for investors in Africa at a business forum held at the British University in Egypt (BUE). "Egypt understands the development priorities of African states, and is grappling with similar challenges, such as meeting infrastructure needs and catering to an expanding and young population," said Sadek. "There is no denying that there are significant challenges associated with investing in Africa but the long-term fundamentals which include readily available resources, improved governance, and the world's largest working-age population mean that there are also very real opportunities particularly when it comes to the energy and infrastructure sectors." Sadek went on to note that the annual infrastructure deficit in Africa today stands at more than $93 billion, of which c. $17 billion per year is needed to redress the existing efficiency gap in power generation. Tracing back to its roots as a leading African private equity investor, Qalaa has been directly investing in Africa since 2006 with a number of its investments originating in African economies other than Egypt.
