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MENA's largest economy and legal market — where the New Administrative Capital, Suez Canal Economic Zone, and a 104-million-person consumer market converge.
Egypt is the largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa, with a GDP exceeding US$400 billion and a population of over 106 million — the largest in the Arab world. The country's strategic position connecting Africa, Asia, and Europe through the Suez Canal, combined with a government actively pursuing economic reform under IMF-supported programmes, has generated substantial investment opportunities in infrastructure, energy, real estate, and financial services.
The New Administrative Capital — a US$58 billion city east of Cairo — is one of the largest urban development projects in the world. The Ras el-Hekma mega-development represents one of the largest FDI transactions in MENA history. The Suez Canal Economic Zone is attracting manufacturers and logistics companies from across the world. Egypt's energy sector spans hydrocarbons (the Zohr gas field, the largest in the Mediterranean), solar (Benban, one of the world's largest solar parks), wind, and nuclear (El Dabaa). GSDA's Cairo office serves international investors, contractors, and financial institutions navigating this complex and dynamic market.
The Cairo office coordinates with our six Gulf offices for the significant volume of Emirati, Saudi, and Qatari capital flowing into Egypt, and with our Paris headquarters for the French companies (Orange, Alstom, Schneider Electric, TotalEnergies, Vinci) that maintain major Egyptian operations.
Office Details
Industries we serve
Egypt's Zohr gas field (the largest in the Mediterranean), the Benban Solar Park (one of the world's largest), and the El Dabaa nuclear programme create a diversified energy practice. We advise on upstream and downstream contracts, renewable energy PPAs, and the regulatory framework governing the Ministry of Petroleum and the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company.
Egypt's massive infrastructure programme — the New Administrative Capital, national road network, monorail, and the new Alamein city — generates complex construction work. We advise on FIDIC-based contracts, government procurement, delay and variation claims, and dispute resolution.
Egypt's banking sector — led by the National Bank of Egypt, Banque Misr, and CIB — serves the largest consumer market in the Arab world. We advise on banking regulatory compliance (CBE), loan documentation, project finance, Islamic finance structuring, and capital markets transactions on the Egyptian Exchange (EGX).
Egypt's amended Companies Law and the Investment Law (Law 72 of 2017) have modernised the corporate and investment framework. We advise on company formation, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, and the GAFI investment incentives and guarantees regime.
We advise on the structuring of Egyptian real estate investments — from new city developments to commercial portfolio acquisitions — covering GAFI incentives, land acquisition, NUCA compliance, and the corporate vehicles used by international investors.
The SCZone is attracting international manufacturers, logistics operators, and petrochemical companies seeking to leverage the Suez Canal's global trade position. We advise on SCZone licensing, land allocation agreements, construction contracts, and customs and tax incentive frameworks.
We represent clients in arbitration proceedings at the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration — the most established arbitration institution in Africa and the Arab world. CRCICA has administered some of the most significant international arbitrations in the MENA region, and our Cairo team has deep experience with its rules and procedures.
We advise international developers, contractors, and investors on the legal aspects of Egypt's New Administrative Capital — the US$58 billion new city that will serve as Egypt's seat of government. Our work covers development agreements, construction contracts, NUCA compliance, and the structuring of investments in this transformative project.
We represent clients before the Egyptian Economic Courts, Commercial Courts, and Court of Cassation. Egypt has the most developed and active court system in the Arab world — with extensive published jurisprudence — and our understanding of Egyptian judicial practice enables effective advocacy across commercial, construction, and corporate disputes.
Gulf investment in Egypt is substantial — Emirati, Saudi, and Qatari sovereign and private capital flows heavily into Egyptian real estate, infrastructure, and financial services. Our Cairo office, combined with our Gulf network, provides coordinated legal support for these cross-border transactions.
Egypt's simultaneous development of hydrocarbons (Zohr, West Nile Delta), solar (Benban), wind (Gulf of Suez, West Bakr), and nuclear (El Dabaa) creates a diversified energy transition practice. We advise on project structuring, PPA negotiation, regulatory compliance, and the increasingly complex grid interconnection framework.
France is one of the largest European investors in Egypt, with Orange, Alstom, Schneider Electric, Carrefour, TotalEnergies, and Vinci among the major French companies operating in the country. Our Paris-Cairo corridor provides integrated legal support for these operations — a natural extension of the Francophone civil-law heritage shared by both legal systems.
Regulatory environment
Egypt's legal system is based on civil-law principles derived from the Napoleonic Code through the influential Civil Code of 1948, drafted by El-Sanhuri — which became the template for Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Iraq, and Libya. This Francophone civil-law heritage gives our Paris-trained lawyers a natural advantage in Egyptian legal practice.
The judicial system comprises the Courts of First Instance, Courts of Appeal, and the Court of Cassation, with specialised Economic Courts handling commercial disputes above certain thresholds. The Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA), established in 1979, is the most established arbitration institution in Africa and the Arab world, administering cases under UNCITRAL rules.
Key legislation includes the Companies Law (Law No. 159 of 1981, as amended), the Investment Law (Law No. 72 of 2017), the Labour Law (Law No. 12 of 2003), the Data Protection Law (Law No. 151 of 2020), and the Competition Law (Law No. 3 of 2005). The General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) administers the investment framework and operates as the primary interface for foreign investors.
The GSDA advantage
Present in the MENA region's largest economy and legal market — 104 million people, US$400 billion GDP, and the most developed court system and arbitration infrastructure in the Arab world.
Francophone civil-law advantage: Egypt's legal system was built on French civil-law principles — our Paris-headquartered firm brings a natural affinity with Egyptian legal reasoning that common-law competitors cannot replicate.
Paris-Cairo corridor: France is one of the largest European investors in Egypt, and the volume of French-Egyptian business — Orange, Alstom, Schneider, Carrefour, TotalEnergies — makes our dual presence a significant competitive advantage.
CRCICA arbitration expertise: Cairo hosts the most important arbitration institution in Africa and the Arab world — our team's experience at CRCICA is essential for the construction, energy, and commercial disputes that define Egyptian practice.
GCC-Egypt integration: our Cairo office, combined with our six Gulf offices, provides seamless legal support for the significant volume of Gulf investment flowing into Egypt — particularly in real estate, infrastructure, and financial services.
Egypt's legal market is the most complex in the Arab world — GSDA's Cairo team combined deep local expertise with the international perspective we needed for a transaction spanning Cairo, Dubai, and Paris. The Francophone legal heritage they share with the Egyptian system was a genuine advantage.
Group General Counsel, European Infrastructure & Utilities Conglomerate
Our Cairo office advises on real estate and new city development, construction and infrastructure, energy (hydrocarbons, solar, wind, nuclear), banking and finance, corporate structuring and M&A, and dispute resolution — including CRCICA arbitration and Egyptian Economic Court litigation. We serve international investors, contractors, financial institutions, and corporate clients in MENA's largest market.
Yes. The New Administrative Capital is one of the largest urban development projects in the world. We advise international developers, contractors, and investors on development agreements, construction contracts, NUCA regulatory compliance, and the structuring of investments in this transformative project.
CRCICA arbitration is a core capability of our Cairo practice. The Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration is the most established arbitration institution in Africa and the Arab world, and we have deep experience representing clients in proceedings under CRCICA's UNCITRAL-based rules.
We represent clients before the Egyptian Economic Courts, Commercial Courts, and Court of Cassation. Egypt's judiciary is the most developed in the Arab world, with extensive published jurisprudence. Our local practice knowledge ensures effective advocacy across commercial, construction, corporate, and regulatory disputes.
Egypt's legal system was built on French civil-law principles — the Civil Code of 1948 reflects this heritage directly. Our Paris-headquartered firm brings a natural affinity with Egyptian legal reasoning. Additionally, France is one of the largest European investors in Egypt, and our dual presence supports the significant French corporate presence in the country.
We advise on SCZone licensing, land allocation agreements, construction contracts, customs and tax incentive frameworks, and the specific regulatory regime governing companies in the zone. The SCZone is attracting international manufacturers and logistics operators seeking to leverage Egypt's position on global trade routes.
Egypt's energy practice is diversified — hydrocarbons (Zohr gas field, West Nile Delta), solar (Benban), wind (Gulf of Suez), and nuclear (El Dabaa). We advise on project structuring, EPC contracts, power purchase agreements, regulatory compliance, and dispute resolution for energy projects across all fuel types.
Gulf-Egypt cross-border investment is a significant practice area. Emirati, Saudi, and Qatari sovereign and private capital flows heavily into Egyptian real estate, infrastructure, and financial services — including the Ras el-Hekma mega-development. Our Cairo office, combined with our six Gulf offices, provides coordinated legal support for these transactions.
