Egypt Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in egypt, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Medical Equipment Supplies
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Overview

Egypt’s healthcare sector is one of the largest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, driven by a population of about 118 million and a growing demand for accessible, high-quality medical care. The Government of Egypt (GoE) is the principal actor in the healthcare system, responsible for both policy and major infrastructure investments.

For the fiscal year 2023/2024, public health allocations rose to approximately EGP 397 billion ($7.8 billion), an annual increase of 30 percent; however, the FY 2025/2026 allocation for public health is below the constitutionally mandated minimum. Article 18 of the Egyptian Constitution mandates at least 3 percent of GDP be allocated to healthcare, with a commitment to reach global benchmarks over time.

Public Investment and Expansion

  • 205 percent increase in hospital investment since the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Launch of the Decent Life Presidential Initiative to provide nationwide medical insurance. The Decent Life Initiative, also known in Arabic as Hayah Karima, was officially launched on January 2, 2019, by President Abdel Fattah El‑Sisi, with the aim of improving living conditions in Egypt’s most underserved rural communities by providing nationwide medical insurance.

  • The initiative began its first phase in July 2021, expanding to cover roughly 1,477 villages in 20 governorates under a comprehensive rural development.

  • To date, the first phase is approximately 88% complete. Over 23,000 projects have been implemented, benefiting around 18 million people, with total spending reaching EGP 302 billion out of an estimated EGP 350 billion budget. Full completion is expected during the 2025–26 fiscal year.

  • 23 new hospitals under construction, with 77 percent of projects nearing completion.

 

Strategic Projects

National Project for Self-Sufficiency in Plasma Derivatives (launched in July 2021): Establishment of 20 plasma collection centers and a central storage facility.

Medical City in the New Administrative Capital: A major development featuring premium hospitals, a medical university, and a nursing school—targeting medical tourism and expatriate patients, particularly from Gulf countries.
 

Medical Equipment and Imports

Egypt relies heavily on imported medical equipment such as:

  • Radiography and ultrasound machines

  • Dialysis units

  • Vital signs monitors

  • Laboratory microscopes

The El Gomhoureya Company, a state-owned distributor, dominates the medical equipment import market and is undergoing restructuring to boost regional competitiveness. Equipment imports are subject to strict customs regulations—only brand-new devices are permitted, excluding refurbished goods.
 

Opportunities

Egypt’s focus on preventative care, universal health coverage, and infrastructure development opens avenues across a range of services and sectors.
 

Short-to-Mid-Term Opportunities:

  • Supply of medical devices and laboratory equipment

  • Digital health solutions and mobile clinics

  • Procurement of diagnostic and ICU equipment
     

Mid-to-Long-Term Opportunities:

  • Hospital and healthcare facility construction/rehabilitation

  • Emergency and ambulatory care services

  • Capacity building: training for physicians, nurses, and lab technicians

  • Development of biological and lab research centers

  • Creation and implementation of healthcare quality standards

  • Consultancy services for regulatory and accreditation authorities

  • Regulatory training, including FDA classification programs for officials
     

Private Sector Growth

The private sector has seen a significant upturn in investment post-COVID-19 with a sharp rise in:

  • Private hospitals and clinics

  • Demand for modern diagnostics and therapeutic devices

  • Imported medical equipment, often procured through international channels

The GOE has allocated the land to establish a Medical City in the NAC that would include high-end healthcare providers and host a medical and nursing school. The aim is to provide comprehensive and high-level services to Egyptians who normally seek treatment abroad and to attract patients from the Gulf.

Technical medical equipment, such as radiography and ultrasound apparatus, vital statistic monitors, dialysis machines, and laboratory microscopes are imported and distributed by a handful of companies that benefit from low import tariffs, the biggest of which being government-owned El Gomhoureya. El Gomhoureya Company is undergoing reorganization to enable it to compete regionally.

Private healthcare providers often choose to import the equipment they need, which, according to the country’s customs laws, must be brand new to be allowed into the country (no refurbished goods). This can be a complicated process, yet Egyptian physicians who travel abroad for conferences often acquire devices in this manner. Therefore, after acquiring these devices abroad, they must wait a long time before they can successfully import them into Egypt.

As a result of the Covid-19 outbreak and the resulting healthcare crisis, the Egyptian government pledged to improve its regulation of the healthcare sector. Since 2022, there has been a boost in the purchase of medical devices by the private sector. Similarly, there is a proliferation of privately-owned hospitals and clinics, which has steeply increased the demand for medical and lab equipment and medical personnel. Although there has been some improvement in the registration process, bureaucratic red tape remains a business impediment, and the tendering process is not transparent.
 

Leading Sub-sectors

Best sales prospects in medical equipment and supplies include, but are not limited to, the following categories:

  • Diagnostic imaging equipment

  • Oncology and radiology equipment

  • Medical disposable supplies

  • Surgical and medical equipment

  • ICU monitoring equipment

  • Laboratory and scientific equipment

  • Mobile clinics

  • Digital equipment

 

Opportunities

The government prefers investing in preventative medicine, which offers opportunities to supply medical devices. According to the World Bank, less than 5 percent of Egypt’s total investments are allocated toward health services. Considering the strong demand, the medical device sector is ripe for substantial growth in the short to the mid-term.

In line with the country’s efforts to upgrade its overall healthcare system, it is expected that there will be opportunities in the mid to long term in the following services:

  • Medical devices and lab equipment

  • Construction, management, and rehabilitation of hospitals and rural healthcare facilities

  • Emergency care (ambulatory) services

  • Training programs for physicians, nurses, and lab technicians

  • Establishment of biological and laboratory centers

  • Development of quality standards for hospitals, laboratories, and healthcare institutions

  • Capacity building and consultancy services for regulatory and accreditation bodies

  • Training programs including FDA-drug classification for government officials.

 

For more information on the Healthcare sector, contact:

Rania Mekhail
Supervisory Commercial Specialist
U.S. Embassy Cairo

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