More Foreigners are Coming to Egypt for Work

The number of foreign workers in Egypt’s private and investment sectors surged to 17,357 in 2023, up from 13,331 in the previous year – marking a 30.2 percent increase, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

In the agency’s report, 7,973 work permits were issued to foreigners working in Egypt for the first time, representing 45.9 percent of the total. The remaining 9,384 permits were renewals, accounting for 54.1 percent.

Asians constituted the largest group of foreign workers, numbering 6,275 (36.2 percent), followed by Europeans with 5,975 (34.4 percent). Workers from Arab countries totaled 3,487 (20.1 percent), while those from North and South America and non-Arab African countries were 779 (4.5 percent) and 662 (3.8 percent), respectively. The smallest contingent came from Oceania, with just 71 workers (0.4 percent).

FOREIGNERS BRINGING EXPERIENCE AND LEADERSHIP

Foreign senior officials and managers made up the largest group of workers at 5,413 (31.2 percent). They were followed by professionals in scientific fields, who numbered 4,215 (24.3 percent), and technicians and associate professionals, with 3,337 workers (19.2 percent).

The manufacturing sector employed the largest number of foreign workers, with 4,495 individuals (25.9 percent). This was followed by the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector, which employed 3,397 workers (19.6 percent), the construction sector with 2,288 workers (13.2 percent), and the food and accommodation services sector with 2,225 workers (12.8 percent).

Egypt is home to nearly 10 million migrants as of 2023, with a growing number of them being refugees from struggling nations like Sudan, Libya, Syria, and Palestine.

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