الهيئة العامة للرقابة المالية

• Islam Azzam: Egypt has the regulatory strength to boost market appeal and expand competition.
• Ahmed El-Sobky: The Authority is establishing an integrated model designed to position Egypt as a globally recognized regional healthcare hub.
• Studying new EGX listings for major healthcare firms and introducing new investment funds.
• A joint awareness protocol will be signed at Africa Health ExCon this June.

Dr. Islam Azzam, FRA Chairman met with Dr. Ahmed El-Sobky, Chairman of Egypt Healthcare Authority (EHA) and General Supervisor of the Universal Health Insurance project, alongside senior executives from both entities. The high-level meeting focused on deepening integration between non-banking financial sector and healthcare industry, a move aligned with Egypt’s Vision 2030 to upgrade public health services.

Dr. El-Sobky commended FRA’s robust regulatory oversight, noting that non-banking financial sector remains a core pillar of the national economy. He specifically highlighted the impressive, rapid expansion of Egypt’s healthcare insurance market.

In this regard, Dr. Islam Azzam emphasized FRA’s commitment to develop medical insurance and healthcare sector, identifying it as a top priority under the Unified Insurance Law No. 155 of 2024. This focus is reflected in the regulatory decisions issued by the Authority to foster market expansion, including establishing – for the first time – the regulatory framework for Healthcare Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) and integrating them into non-banking financial services ecosystem.

Dr. Azzam explained that the FRA prioritizes healthcare because of its unique ability to attract high-impact investments that strengthen the Egyptian economy. To support this, the Authority has built a robust regulatory environment that encourages market players to adopt modern, globally aligned financial innovations.

He added that FRA continues to approve numerous insurance products to stimulate the market and meet customer needs. Furthermore, the Authority enforces top-tier governance standards and integrates fintech solutions among companies, which drives competition, strengthens trust in the industry and ultimately elevates quality of healthcare services provided to beneficiaries.

For his part, Dr. Ahmed El-Sobky stressed the critical role of private medical insurance as a primary partner in supporting healthcare ecosystem. He highlighted the need to create integrated collaborative models between public and private insurance -chiefly through co-insurance and risk-transfer models – allowing private medical insurance companies to participate actively in the Universal Health Insurance system.

Dr. El-Sobky pointed out that the expected annual transaction volume in Egypt’s medical insurance industry could reach EGP 300 to 400 billion in the coming years. This projection reflects promising investment opportunities that require coordinated efforts between state institutions and private sector.

The meeting also addressed medical tourism and mechanisms to provide medical insurance coverage for foreign tourists in cooperation with international entities, thereby boosting the global competitiveness of Egyptian medical services. Dr. El-Sobky reviewed the results of his recent visit to Russia highlighting positive discussions regarding cooperation to provide medical insurance services for over 2.5 million Russian tourists who visit Egypt annually. He noted that Egypt’s competitive pricing and advanced medical services position it to become a premier medical tourism destination in the region.

Dr. Islam Azzam welcomed Healthcare Authority’s plans to study several projects aimed at attracting local and foreign investments through the capital market. These include listing major healthcare entities on the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) to broaden their ownership base, as well as establishing specialized investment funds for healthcare and medical services.

He stressed the importance of leveraging the growing public interest in investment funds, particularly among youth, which fueled strong Q1 growth indicators. With global demand rising for healthcare and education investments, Egypt possesses the strong foundations needed to quickly expand and mature its market, driven by a growing number of market participants, high awareness and newly introduced investment tools.

The discussions also outlined a joint program to build financial and investment awareness across healthcare sector. To execute these plans, a joint task force will coordinate operations and finalize a strategic cooperation protocol, scheduled for official signing mid-June at Africa Health ExCon 2026.