UAE, Saudi Arabia Egypt's major Arab trading partners

Over the past five years, the non-Arab Asian countries accounted for 16.6 percent of Egypt's total merchandise trade by volume with the rest of the world. China led the way with 5.5 percent, followed by India with 3.4 percent and South Korea 2.0 percent.

Data from World Trade Organization and African Economic Outlook showed that Arab countries meanwhile accounted for some 11.3 percent of Egypt's merchandise trade in the same period, led by the UAE with 3.0 percent and Saudi Arabia on 2.6 percent.

Arab countries are particularly important as investment partners, as they contribute to FDI inflows into Egypt and are an important destination for young Egyptian migrants.

Other important emerging country partners for Egypt include Russia and Turkey, each with a 2.0 percent trade share over the past five years.

Egypt's trade with non-Arab African countries has been modest thus far, taking up a share of 1.2 percent.