Egypt: New Labor Law Forthcoming August 19, 2025

The reciprocal condition requirement (i.e., the rule prohibiting Egyptian employers from hiring foreign nationals from countries that do not allow the hiring of Egyptian nationals) may be waived at the discretion of the Ministry of Labour.

The Minister will set the foreign employment quota and outline any exceptions in the executive regulations, expected in October 2025. The specific terms of the quota have not yet been disclosed, with further clarification anticipated in the October announcement. The current quota requires employers to hire nine Egyptian workers for every one foreign worker.

Employers will be allowed to conduct communicable disease and drug tests on foreign workers. Currently, they cannot request such tests. Refusal to undergo such testing will be treated as an admission of drug use and may result in referral to the Labor Court.

A new rule will require employers to notify the Ministry of Labor if a foreign worker is absent for 15 consecutive business days without a valid reason. This obligation is not currently in place.