Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced on Sunday that Egypt will offer its first airports for private management and operation before the end of the year, marking a major step in the country's privatization drive. The announcement came during a meeting with Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), held on the sidelines of the "Development Finance to Foster Private Sector-Led Growth & Jobs" conference in the New Administrative Capital. Madbouly expressed appreciation for the ongoing partnership between the Egyptian government and the IFC, which acts as a strategic advisor to Egypt's privatization program. He praised the IFC's contributions across various sectors and reaffirmed the government's commitment to deepening this collaboration. Highlighting the IFC's global experience in airport concessions, Madbouly said the government is keen to accelerate the timeline for launching Egypt's airport management and operation tenders. He described the upcoming offering as a landmark event, noting it will be the first time Egyptian airports are managed and operated by specialized private companies with international expertise. Makhtar Diop confirmed that a detailed strategy for the airport initiative would be released soon, starting with a tender for the management and operation of Hurghada Airport. He also emphasized the IFC's commitment to expanding cooperation with Egypt in several sectors, including tourism—particularly medical, beach, cultural, and therapeutic tourism. Minister of Planning and Economic Development Rania Al-Mashat added that Prime Minister Madbouly closely monitors the IFC's activities in Egypt. She noted that the next phase will focus on launching a comprehensive promotional campaign—both locally and internationally—to support the airport management initiative. The campaign will spotlight global success stories of private-sector-led airport operations to attract experienced international operators.
