Hurghada airport is close to being offered for private management, minister says
Sameh El-Hefny said at a meeting with President Sisi that the airport is the pilot scheme for private participation, and that Egyptian airports stay in state hands and are not for sale.
12 November 2026
Egypt is close to finishing the procedures that would open Hurghada International Airport to private management, Civil Aviation Minister Sameh El-Hefny said on Thursday.
He was speaking at a meeting with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on plans for Egypt's airports, according to the presidency's account of the talks. Hurghada is to be the pilot project for private-sector participation in managing, operating and developing Egyptian airports.
Egyptian airports are sovereign assets owned by the state and are not for sale, El-Hefny said, and private participation is intended to attract direct foreign investment and bring in international expertise and technology. No operator, timetable or contract terms were given.
The minister also put state investment in Egypt's airspace — radar, satellite networks and communications systems — at more than **$400 million**, and said civil aviation brought in **$4.8 billion** in the 2025/2026 financial year.