[Last updated: 1 January 2025, unless otherwise noted]

The Alexandria stock exchange was officially established in 1883, with the Cairo stock exchange following in 1903. Both exchanges were very active in the 1940s. However, the central planning and socialist policies adopted in the mid-1950s led to both exchanges becoming dormant between 1961 and 1992.

In the 1990s, the Egyptian government's restructuring and economic reform program resulted in the revival of the Egyptian stock market, and a major change in the organization of the Cairo and Alexandria stock exchanges took place in January 1997 with the election of a new board of directors and the establishment of a number of board committees.

In February 2007, the Minister of Investment issued a decree adding a new chapter 12 to the executive regulations of the Capital Markets Law ("Chapter 12"), which was replaced by a Prime Ministerial Decree in 2018. Chapter 12 sets out certain disclosure requirements and other regulatory measures and thresholds to create a more efficient and regulated environment for the Egyptian public M&A market. Chapter 12 also covers the disclosure of "potential offers", mandatory offers, the role of investment banks and financial advisers, requirements for setting the offer price and the required notifications following the acquisition of a substantial shareholding. Generally, the Financial Regulatory Authority ("FRA") is legally entrusted with enforcing Chapter 12 in relation to public tender offers.

In March 2017, the Minister of Investment issued a decree that legal persons shall abide by the rules of disclosure of the beneficiary. The rules are set out in annex 7 of the executive regulations. These apply when issuing shares in a joint stock company or partnership limited by shares, amending the shareholder ownership structure, requesting an approval for a mandatory or voluntary public tender offer or an approval for an exemption, offering securities for public subscription in the Egyptian market or listing securities on the Egyptian stock exchange.

In March 2018, the Capital Market Law was amended to allow (i) the establishment of a private stock exchange, (ii) the establishment of a futures exchange and (iii) for regulation to issue and trade financial instruments.