Egypt

Brief Fact File

Capital	Cairo
Currency	Egyptian pound (EGP)
Language(s)	Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes.
Local time	GMT + 02:00 & GMT + 03:00 Note:- Egypt operates 'Daylight-Saving Time' between the last Friday in April and the last Thursday in September when the clocks are 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
Telephone code	20
Major cities	Alexandria, Ismailia, Port Said, Asyût, Giza

Economy
Egypt enjoys the position of one of the largest economy in the Middle East, next to Saudi Arabia but a substantial progress is lacking on economic reform since a decade. The annual GDP growth of the country was only 2%-3% in 2001-03. In 2004, the government implemented several measures to boost FDI. It pushed through custom reforms, proposed for income and corporate tax reforms, reduced the energy subsidies, and also privatised several enterprises. However, Egyptian Pound devaluation in the beginning of 2003 has given a boost to exports but has also produced an inflation rise estimated at 10.4% in 2004. Tourism is also gradually gaining ground. The top three export and import partners of Egypt are Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom and the United States, Italy, Germany respectively.

Major Exports:

• Crude Oil And Petroleum Products
  
• Cotton
  
• Textiles
  
• Metal Products
  
• Chemicals

Major Imports:

• Machinery And Equipment
  
• Foodstuffs
  
• Chemicals
  
• Wood Products
  
• Fuels

Business Practices

Business Dress

• Business attire is formal and conservative in Egypt. For making a good impression, one should dress well.
  
• Men should wear dark colored, lightweight and conservative business suits, at least for the first meeting.
  
• Men should avoid wearing visible jewellery.
  
• Women should be very careful while covering themselves. The skirts and dresses should be below knee and the sleeves should cover most of the arm.

Communication Guidelines

• The names are often confusing so, it is best to get the names ahead of time of those to meet with.
  
• Frequently, the appointments are interrupted by phone calls or visits from friend or family.
  
• The business cards should be printed in both English and Arabic on either side.
  
• All documents should carry two dates, the Gregorian (Western) date and the Hijrah (Arabic) date.
  
• Space relationships among same sex members are much closer. They tend to stand close, moving away is a sign of aloofness.
  
• For eating, only the right hand should be used.
  
• Never sit with crossed legs. Showing the sole of shoes is considered as insult to them.
  
• Tapping the two index fingers together is considered to be a crude gesture.
  
• Smoking in public is common but do bother to others present and do offer cigarettes.
  
• Leave food after dining. This shows that it was enough.

Business Hour
8.30 am to 2.00 pm - Banks (closed on Friday and Saturday)
8.00 am to 3.00 pm - Government Offices (closed on Fridays)
10.00 am to 9.00 pm - Shops (many shops are closed on Sundays)
8.00 am to 4.00/5.00 pm - Business (closed on Fridays, some even on Saturdays)
Note:- Many grocery stores and gas stations are open 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.

Important Contacts

Associations / Ministries

Egyptian Exporters Association (EEA)
Address: 90, Road 105, Maadi, Cairo - Egypt
P.O.Box 28 Giza
Tel.: +(20)-(2)-5271010
Fax: +(20)-(2)-5271015
E-mail: info@expolink.org.eg
Website: http://www.expolink.org

Egyptian Businessmen's Association
21 Giza St., Nile Tower, Giza, Egypt
P.O. Box: 265 Orman
Tel: +(20)-(2)-5723020, 5736030
Mob.: +(20)-105384604, 105384605
Fax: +(20)-(2)-5737258, 5723855
E-mail: eba@eba.org.eg
Website: http://www.eba.org.eg

Egyptian International Trade Point
Ministry of Finance Towers
Tower No.6,
Emtdad Ramsis St. Nasr City
Cairo, Egypt
P.O.B.: 4511
P. Code: 11717
Tel.: +(20)-(2)-3420941/2/3
Fax: +(20)-(2)-3420926-39
E-mail: moeitcnt@idsc.net.eg
              moeit@idsc.net.eg
Website: http://www.tpegypt.gov.eg

Indian Embassy / Counsulate

Embassy of India
5, Aziz Abaza Street
Zamalek
P.O. Box No. 718
Cairo 11511, Egypt
Tel.: +(20)-(2)-3413051
Fax: +(20)-(2)-3414038
E-mail: embassy@india-emb.org.eg

Visiting this Country

Business Visa Rules for Egypt

• The Egypt business visa is issued for a single entry within three months, for stay of up to 30 days. Multiple entries are issued on written request. A double entry visa can be issued for tourists on written request, must show copy of itinerary indicating two entries.
  
• The visa may be issued on the arrival at most of the major ports of entry, except land borders, for a tourist stay of up to one week.
  
• The visa may be extended, on monthly basis, by showing receipts for currency exchange at the rate of USD180 per month.
  
• All visitors must register with immigration/police within seven days of arrival, or face a fine upon departure. Hotels and tour operators will perform the registration, which is evidented by a triangular registration stamp in the passport.
  
• If registering yourself, register at the Mugamma building in Cairo. It is a simple process which usually takes few minutes and is free of charge, (except at police stations). This procedure can be completed in Alexandria at the Passport Registration Office on Sharia Talaat Harb.

Public Holidays

Festival	Date	Detail
Coptic Christmas Day	January 7
Day of Sinai Liberation	April 25	Observed in the Sinai only
Labour Day	May 1
Evacuation Day	June 18
Revolution Day	July 23
Flooding of the Nile	August 15
Armed Forces Day	October 6
Suez Victory Day	October 24
Victory Day	December 23
Eid ul-Adha		Variable Date
Eid ul-Fitr		Variable Date
Easter Sunday and Easter Monday		Variable Date
Islamic New Year		Variable Date
Coptic New Year's Day	September 11	Not a national holiday

Travel Tips

• Travel light. Get wheels for the luggage and leave heavy items at home. Sunglasses are a must in Egypt as the sun is very strong.
  
• Stay out of direct sunlight, especially once the sun is high. Move from shade to shade.
  
• Wear cloths to protect the skin from the sun, particularly the head and the neck. Use high Sun Protection Factor (SPA) cream to minimize the effects of Ultraviolet-B.
  
• Drink good quality water regularly and fully. Approximately 10-15 liters are needed by a healthy person per day to avoid water deficiency in the desert conditions.
  
• The nights are very cold, so take some warm cloths.
  
• Stay in quarters or vehicle if there is a sand storm.
  
• Visitors are permitted to enter Egypt with 250 grams of tobacco, or 50 cigars, one liter of alcohol and personal affects.
  
• Cairo International Airport and few others have a duty free shop upon arrival and departure.
  
• Expensive electronic equipment like cameras, are required to list in the passports to ensure that they will be exported upon departure.
  
• Travelers are free to buy and export Egyptian goods but antiquities are restricted. Precious jewels, carpets, paintings, etc. older than 100 years are also restricted.
  
• Tourist Police wear green armbands and stand guard at all the major tourist sites and hotels. Traffic Police are in black and white in winter and white in summer.