How much will the centralization of government authorities in Cairo affect the development of investments in Upper Egypt?
Many of the well known investors are originally from Upper Egypt. With the approach of decentralization, the presence of GAFI’s representative offices and the kind of delegation we are offering now to our governors are actually making it less and less an issue to rely on Cairo. Even in Cairo, with more reliance on communication through IT and websites, things are getting done more smoothly. With better transport systems it is not really a main difficulty given the opportunities are there. Investors can always have their factories in Upper Egypt; the main dealings with the authorities will be in their area. Then they may need to come once or twice a year to Cairo. Does your plan to attract more FDI include a special focus on Arab investments? We are working on all fronts when it comes to attracting foreign investments. There may be some specific programs to attract particular investors. For example, what we are going to do very soon is to get the attention of Arab investors through work
