ABU DHABI, 29th September, 2026 (WAM) — Omar Radwan, Executive Chairman of the Egyptian Exchange (EGX), said the exchange recorded strong growth during the first nine months of 2026, attracting more than 500,000 new investors while average daily equity trading value rose to around EGP10 billion, compared with approximately EGP3.5 billion last year.

Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the AFCM Annual Conference – Abu Dhabi 2026, Radwan said the number of newly registered investors during the first nine months of this year had already surpassed the approximately 300,000 recorded throughout 2025.

He said the combined number of new investors during 2025 and 2026 could exceed one million if the current pace of growth continues, reflecting the rapid expansion of the market’s investor base.

Radwan said some trading sessions had recorded equity transactions worth between EGP19 billion and EGP20 billion, excluding bond trading.

He added that EGX is seeking to continue expanding and deepening the market, noting that technological transformation has been one of the main drivers behind the sharp increase in investor numbers.

Radwan said Egypt’s Law No. 5 of 2022 regulating the use of financial technology in non-bank financial activities enabled brokerage firms meeting the relevant requirements to use fintech in contracting and related procedures, helping facilitate access for new investors.

He noted that only around 25,000 new investors joined the market during the whole of 2020, compared with more than 500,000 during the first nine months of this year.

He added that further approvals for brokerage firms to use fintech are expected to support continued growth in investor numbers.

Radwan said the exchange is also expanding the range of instruments and products available to investors, including derivatives and futures contracts on indices and individual stocks.

He added that recent tax incentives and amendments have provided another boost to trading, particularly the abolition of capital gains tax on listed securities and changes to transaction taxation.

Trading activity rose by around 50 percent in the two months following the announcement of those incentives, he said.

Radwan linked the exchange’s strong performance to improvements in several Egyptian economic indicators, including higher remittances from Egyptians working abroad and foreign reserves, an improving net foreign asset position in the banking sector and at the Central Bank of Egypt, and a decline in the cost of insuring sovereign debt.

He also pointed to the significant decline in inflation from its peak levels and economic growth exceeding 5 percent.

Radwan said these indicators, together with the strong performance of foreign-currency-generating sectors such as tourism and workers’ remittances, are having a positive impact on Egypt’s investment climate and capital-market performance.

On trading patterns, Radwan said the number of investors trading on a daily basis is approaching half a million, while institutional investors account for around 15 to 20 percent of daily trading activity.

Source: Emirates News Agency