Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) Islam Azzam, and Chairman of Egypt Healthcare Authority (EHA) Ahmed el-Sobky probed on Tuesday closer co-operation between the non-banking financial and healthcare sectors in support of Egypt’s Vision 2030 and the sustainability of the universal health insurance system.
The meeting, took place on Tuesday and attended by senior officials from both authorities, focused on expanding investment opportunities in healthcare, strengthening medical insurance services and promoting innovative financing solutions for the sector.
El-Sobky lauded FRA’s role in regulating non-banking financial activities and supporting the national economy, highlighting the rapid growth of Egypt’s insurance sector, particularly in healthcare coverage.
For his part, FRA’s Azzam said that the authority considers medical insurance and healthcare among the priorities of the Unified Insurance Law No. 155 of 2024, noting that the authority had introduced several regulatory measures to encourage the sector’s growth.
These included establishing, for the first time, a regulatory framework for third-party healthcare administration (TPA) services and integrating them into the non-banking financial services system.
He added that the FRA views healthcare as a strategic sector capable of attracting major investments and generating added value for the Egyptian economy, stressing that the authority continues to encourage the adoption of innovative financial and fintech solutions in line with global trends.
Azzam also said the FRA has approved several new insurance products to stimulate the market and meet customer needs, while requiring companies to apply high governance standards and integrate technological solutions to improve competitiveness and confidence in the sector.
For his part, El-Sobky stressed the importance of private medical insurance as a key partner in supporting the healthcare system, calling for integrated models between public and private insurance schemes, particularly co-insurance and risk-transfer mechanisms, to allow private insurers to play a greater role in the universal health insurance system.
He said annual transactions in Egypt’s medical insurance industry could reach between LE300 billion and LE400 billion over the coming years, reflecting significant investment opportunities that would require coordinated efforts between the state and the private sector.
The talks also covered medical tourism and ways to provide insurance coverage for foreign visitors in cooperation with international partners. El-Sobky reviewed the outcome of his recent visit to Russia, including discussions on providing medical insurance services for more than 2.5 million Russian tourists visiting Egypt annually.
Azzam welcomed the Healthcare Authority’s plans to study projects aimed at attracting local and foreign investment through the capital market, including listing major healthcare entities on the stock exchange and establishing specialised healthcare investment funds.
The meeting also discussed launching a joint awareness programme for the healthcare sector on investment mechanisms in non-banking financial activities. Both sides agreed to form a joint working group and prepare a cooperation protocol to be signed during the Africa Health ExCon 2026 forum, scheduled for mid-June.
