The Retail Goldmine | Exploring Egypt’s True Potential for Retail – Understanding Gaps, Opportunities for Investors and Outlook
Cityscape Egypt 2025 Summit Highlights Growth Prospects and Challenges of the Egyptian Retail Sector
Cairo, September 23, 2025: At Cityscape Egypt 2025 Summit, a panel titled “The Retail Goldmine” explored Egypt’s retail potential. The session highlighted both growth opportunities and key challenges facing the retail industry.
Egypt is the largest consumer market in the Arab world. Nearly 60% of its population is under 30 years old. Retail represents more than 50% of the overall market. At the same time, e-commerce players are rapidly expanding their share.
The session was moderated by Nihal El Koussi, Managing Director, North Africa and Levant, NielsenIQ. Distinguished panelists included Rasha Azab, Managing Director – Shopping Malls, Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Egypt. It also featured Ahmed Badrawi, Executive Vice-Chairman, Marakez (Fawaz Al Hokair Group), and Mohamed Galal, Chairman and Founder, TSM.
Panelists emphasized that retail is one of Egypt’s most powerful engines of economic growth. The sector generates attractive returns and offers wide-ranging investment opportunities. They expressed optimism about steady growth, driven by food, entertainment, and mixed-use projects.
However, the panel acknowledged real challenges. Consumer purchasing power has declined. Despite this, the market remains highly attractive because of recent positive economic indicators. Panelists also stressed the diversity of investment opportunities available.
Shopping malls are now evolving from purely retail spaces into integrated destinations.
These include entertainment, co-working spaces, and services. This evolution enhances sustainability and strengthens the retail sector’s role in Egypt’s economy.
Rasha Azab stated that Egypt’s retail sector is expected to grow by 11% in the next four years. She added that the food sector will achieve 4% growth over the next seven years. Majid Al Futtaim owns nearly three million square meters of retail space in Egypt. She explained that malls are no longer just shopping centers. They are fully integrated hubs with entertainment, workspaces, and services.
Ahmed Badrawi highlighted last year’s positive market indicators. These signals encouraged international retailers to enter and invest in Egypt. He explained that innovation has become a key factor for success. Local brands have also filled critical market gaps. He stressed the need to support local businesses. The retail sector is expanding into food and entertainment, making it a core pillar of the economy.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Galal confirmed that retail and F&B sectors are experiencing remarkable growth. He noted there is still wide room for expansion and development. He pointed out that Egypt has large spaces suitable for residential or mixed-use projects. This provides new growth avenues. He added that TSM adopted an innovative model.
The company manages multiple projects in the same area in a complementary, not competitive, way. This approach creates added value and strengthens sector sustainability.
Cityscape Egypt 2025 officially opens on September 24 at the Egypt International Exhibition Center (EIEC) in New Cairo. The event runs until September 27. It will feature more than 80 developers showcasing over 1,000 projects. These projects include residential, commercial, and administrative developments. Smart and sustainable city projects will also be presented. The exhibition is expected to attract more than 40,000 visitors. These visitors will include investors, business leaders, and homebuyers.
