How Egypt is drawing Chinese investors with the Suez Canal shortcut to Europe

A growing number of Chinese investors are turning to Egypt for a shortcut to international markets thanks to the Suez Canal, the country’s generous tax incentives and its location at the junction of Asia, Africa and Europe.

In recent months, Egypt has secured investment deals with Chinese companies worth more than US$8 billion for its Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE). It was jointly built by the governments of China and Egypt as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing’s global infrastructure plan.

The zone, covering more than 455 sq km (176 square miles), was built by the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (Teda) and has since attracted hundreds of companies, most of them Chinese.