Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

Research on Egyptian residential real estate market for foreigners in 2025

Experts Club, in collaboration with Relocation.com.ua, analyzed the current price situation in the Egyptian housing market for foreigners. Foreign citizens have the right to purchase up to two residential properties (with an area of no more than 4,000 m² each) provided that they are registered and paid for in foreign currency received from abroad. Transactions are possible in Cairo, on the Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts, excluding border areas and cultural heritage sites. From 2024, investors will have easier access to purchasing land for projects, and for investments over $300,000, a residence permit program will be available.

There are no official statistics for the top 10 countries, but industry reports and real estate agencies highlight the leading buyers:

1) Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar) — the largest buyers in Cairo, on the north coast, and in new areas.

2) Russia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Poland, and the Czech Republic — traditionally strong in Red Sea resorts (Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh).

3) Ukraine is a notable buyer segment on the Red Sea, especially in Hurghada. Ukrainians began actively purchasing apartments back in the 2010s, and after 2022, demand increased: some families consider Egypt as an alternative for long-term residence and education for their children, as well as a “second base” close to Ukraine. Local developers note that the share of Ukrainian clients has remained stable in the top five European buyers on the Red Sea.

Thus, according to aggregate estimates, the top buyers of housing in Egypt today are groups of Persian Gulf countries + Russians, Germans, British, Ukrainians, and Italians.

Prices vary significantly across regions this year, with Experts Club highlighting the following features:

  • New Cairo / El Sheikh Zayed / New Zayed / 6th of October: from 47,500 to 260,000 EGP/m² depending on the project; average values of 90,000–115,000 EGP/m².
  • Hurghada (Red Sea): mass segment apartments — 10,000–18,000 EGP/m².

In 2025, prices rose by an average of 20–30% year-on-year in nominal terms due to the devaluation of the pound and the increase in the cost of building materials, but the real dynamics depend on the currency of settlement. Overall, prices in euros or dollars have risen by about 9% over the past 12 months.

Features for Ukrainian buyers

  1. Demand for affordable seaside housing: 40-70 m² apartments in Hurghada are often purchased as an alternative to long-term rentals.
  2. Safety and climate factors: Egypt remains popular with families with children and elderly parents due to its mild winters and affordable medical services.
  3. Rental model: some Ukrainians consider apartments in Hurghada and Sharm as an investment for daily rentals to tourists.
  4. Prospect of a residence permit: wealthier investors use the $300,000 threshold to obtain residency, although the majority of Ukrainian buyers focus on the budget segment.

The Egyptian housing market for foreigners is divided into two key areas: Cairo and new cities (interest from GCC investors) and the Red Sea (Europeans, including a significant proportion of Ukrainians). For Ukraine, this market has become particularly important in recent years as an alternative location for long-term residence and as a tool for preserving capital in hard currency.

As of September 14, 2025, the exchange rate of the Egyptian pound (EGP) to the US dollar is approximately 48.15 EGP per 1 USD.

The full version of the Egyptian residential real estate market research is available to Experts Club clients.

What do immigration figures for UK really show?

Official figures indicate net migration is falling, yet concern among Britons is close to the highest it has been since polling began in 1974

Rolling news coverage of protests outside asylum hotels, a series of government announcements on asylum seekers, and Reform’s party conference meant that immigration was once again the political topic of the summer.

In August almost half of Britons (48%) listed immigration as one of the top issues facing the UK. This year has recorded the highest concerns over immigration – outside of one other period during the 2015 Europe migrant crisis – since polling company Ipsos started asking the question in 1974.

But what do the figures really show – and do all of the claims made about immigrants add up?

Immigration is falling – from a record high

Despite public concern about immigration rising in recent months, official figures show that the number of people coming into the country is falling – albeit from a record high peak.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that net migration has mainly hovered between 200,000 and 300,000 people a year since 2011. However, since Brexit came into effect on New Year’s Eve 2020, there has been a large increase in the number of immigrants. Commentators and critics have called this the “Boriswave”, as it occurred following the new post-Brexit immigration system introduced by Boris Johnson.

Recent figures show that the wave is subsiding. Net migration fell by half in 2024, and recent rule changes mean it is expected to fall further. This is largely because of a decrease in health and care visas. Fewer people are now escaping the Ukraine war or fleeing the Taliban through the now closed Afghan humanitarian scheme.

Student visas have also declined. Applications were down 1.5% in August (when student visa applications spiked ahead of the academic year) compared with 2024, and down 18% on the same month in 2023.

Who are the migrants, and how many can work?

In comments to the BBC following his conference speech, Reform leader Nigel Farage blamed Johnson for “millions of people being allowed into Britain, most of whom by the way don’t even work and are costing us a fortune”. However, the available evidence complicates his version of events.

Most people claiming asylum aren’t allowed to work. But despite the large media focus on small boats and asylum seekers, these only make up a tiny proportion of the overall number of people coming to the UK – less than 5% of Home Office visas granted and arrivals detected in 2025.

The largest proportion of people coming into the UK is made up of students (about 47%, including dependents). Students aren’t expected to work, but do contribute by paying fees towards their degrees, and can’t get indefinite leave to remain so either leave the UK or contribute by moving into paid work afterwards.

The second largest group are people on working visas, who make up 20%, with their dependents making up 11%.

How many people on other visas work?

Currently, the published data on immigrant earnings is patchy – and isn’t helped by ongoing issues with the ONS labour force survey.

Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford said that while the data on employment was imperfect and rates “vary widely by immigration category”, the figures suggested employment rates among recent migrants were “not far off existing residents or long-standing migrants”.

A Home Office report managed to link some visa types that were granted between 2019 and 2023, to pay as you earn (PAYE) earnings in the 2023-24 financial year – with most of them recording earnings. As for those without records, it’s probable most will have already left the country.

It’s not just people on working visas who work. The report also found that almost half of people entering on family visas (48%) had some PAYE earnings (and again that’s not including those who are self employed or left the country).

Much of the talk around immigration recently has focused on dependents – family members who are allowed to immigrate alongside the main visa holder. New health and care workers were prevented from bringing their children and other dependents by the Sunak government, as were most students.

The PAYE data suggests many dependents do in fact work – 81% of health and care worker dependents, 45% of skilled worker dependents, and 25% of senior or specialist visa dependents received earnings (once again – these don’t take into account the self-employed, or the fact that many will have left the country. Adjusting the figures to account for the primary visa holders that have left raises the estimates further).

Among all the different types of people coming to the UK, newly arrived refugees (around 28% according to some estimates) and those on humanitarian visas are the least likely to be in work.

In terms of overall earnings, the Migration Observatory found that the immigrant earnings grow quickly – the median non-EU immigrant worker in 2024 earned similar or slightly more than the median UK worker.

So will recent migrants – as Farage stated – cost the UK a fortune in the long run? Based on the available data we still can’t tell – but given the fact that most people moving to the UK won’t be going through the school system, and also have to pay towards their NHS treatment, it’s unlikely they would cost more than others.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/sep/14/what-do-the-immigration-figures-for-the-uk-really-show

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UK is preparing to sign “groundbreaking technology agreement” with US

The UK is preparing to sign a “groundbreaking technology agreement” with the US during President Donald Trump’s state visit next week, Bloomberg reports, citing the UK government.
“Advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing will change our lives. This includes new ways of treating diseases, as well as improving public services,” said UK Technology Minister Liz Kendall.
According to the publication, Trump plans to arrive in the UK on Tuesday for his second state visit, which will last three days. He will be accompanied by a delegation of American business leaders, including executives from Nvidia Corp. and OpenAI.
“During the visit, American companies Nvidia, OpenAI, CoreWeave, and BlackRock will announce multi-billion dollar investments in British data center infrastructure,” the report said.
The US and the UK already cooperate in the fields of artificial intelligence, semiconductors, telecommunications, and quantum computing.

 

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Exports of semi-finished steel products from Ukraine fell by 39%

In January-August of this year, Ukraine reduced exports of semi-finished carbon steel products in physical terms by 39.1% compared to the same period last year, to 795,769 thousand tons.

According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), in monetary terms, exports of carbon steel semi-finished products fell by 40.8% to $384.215 million.

The main exports were mainly to Bulgaria (39.36% of supplies in monetary terms), Turkey (16.42%), and Poland (14.38%).

During this period, Ukraine imported 46,604 thousand tons of semi-finished products worth $35.242 million, mainly from Oman (38.41%), Germany (26.24%), and the Czech Republic (18.61%), while in the first eight months of 2024, it imported 5 tons of semi-finished products worth $5 thousand.

As reported, in 2024, Ukraine increased its exports of semi-finished carbon steel products in physical terms by 56.7% compared to 2023, to 1 million 886,090 tons, while revenue in monetary terms increased by 52.4% to $927.554 million. The main exports were to Bulgaria (32.06% of supplies in monetary terms), Egypt (18.50%), and Turkey (11.14%).

In 2024, Ukraine imported 306 tons of semi-finished products worth $278 thousand from the Czech Republic (88.13%), Romania (7.19%), and Poland (2.88%), while in 2023, it imported 96 tons worth $172 thousand.

 

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Cast iron exports from Ukraine increased by 65% in January-August

In January-August of this year, Ukraine increased its exports of processed cast iron in physical terms by 64.9% compared to the same period last year, to 1 million 235,648 thousand tons.

According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), during the specified period, pig iron exports in monetary terms increased by 70.3% to $487.923 million.
At the same time, exports were mainly to the United States (81.66% of shipments in monetary terms), Italy (9.24%), and Turkey (3.51%).

In the first eight months of this year, the country imported 38,000 tons worth $76,000 from Germany (51.32%) and Brazil (48.68%), while in January-August 2024, 15 tons of pig iron worth $37,000 were imported.
As reported, on March 12 of this year, in accordance with President Donald Trump’s decision, the US began imposing a 25% tariff on imports of Ukrainian steel products, except for cast iron.

In 2024, Ukraine reduced its exports of processed cast iron in physical terms by 3.4% compared to 2023, to 1 million 290.622 thousand tons, and in monetary terms by 6.1%, to $500.341 million. Exports were mainly to the United States (72.64% of shipments in monetary terms), Turkey (8.03%), and Italy (7.30%).

For the whole of 2024, the country imported 38 tons of pig iron worth $90 thousand from Germany, while for the same period in 2023, it imported 154 tons of pig iron worth $156 thousand.

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Exports of titanium-containing ores from Ukraine fell by 94% in January-August

In January-August of this year, Ukraine reduced exports of titanium-containing ores and concentrates in physical terms by 94.2% compared to the same period last year, to 277 tons.

According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), in monetary terms, exports of titanium-bearing ores and concentrate decreased by 93.7% to $496,000.

The main exports were to Uzbekistan (35.61% of shipments in monetary terms), Turkey (35.01%), and Egypt (29.38%).

In addition, Ukraine imported 24 tons of titanium-containing ore worth $39,000 from China (94.87%, deliveries took place in January) and Uzbekistan (5.13%, deliveries took place in May) in the first eight months of 2025.

In the first eight months of 2025, Ukraine exported 2,466 tons of niobium, tantalum, vanadium, and zirconium ores and concentrates worth $3.954 million to Spain (48.90%), Germany (24.53%), and Italy (17.19%). At the same time, the country imported 321 tons of such ores worth $841 thousand from Spain (68.05%), China (15.8%), and the Czech Republic (13.06%).

As reported, in 2024, Ukraine reduced its exports of titanium-containing ores in physical terms by 37.5% compared to the previous year, to 7,284 thousand tons. In monetary terms, exports of titanium-containing ores and concentrates decreased by 40% to $11.654 million. The main exports were to Turkey (62.82% of supplies in monetary terms), Egypt (7.38%), and Poland (6.93%).

Last year, Ukraine imported 314 tons of titanium-containing ore worth $492 thousand from China (87.78%), Vietnam (6.11%), and Senegal (also 6.11%).

At the same time, experts pointed out the inconsistency of statistics on exports of titanium-containing ores. However, in response to a request from Interfax-Ukraine, the State Customs Service (SFS) of Ukraine stated that complete data on the export of titanium raw materials is not provided due to restrictions on the volume of export and import operations with military and dual-use goods, which are reflected in aggregate form under “Other goods.”

They explained that, in particular, deliveries of titanium-containing ores from companies differ from the SCS data.

“We would like to inform you that these deliveries are included in the statistical exports from Ukraine, but are not reflected in the foreign trade statistics published by the State Customs Service (…) under commodity item UKTZED 2614 ”Titanium ores and concentrates” in view of the following (…) In accordance with the regulations (…), when protecting data for confidentiality purposes, any information considered confidential is reported in full at the next, higher level of product data aggregation,” the State Customs Service explained in its response to the agency.

It was clarified that information on customs clearance and movement across the customs border of Ukraine of goods subject to export control is included in the list of information containing official information in the SSU, in accordance with the relevant order.

In Ukraine, titanium-containing ores are currently mined mainly by PJSC “United Mining and Chemical Company” (UMCC), which manages the Vilnohirsk Mining and Metallurgical Plant (VGMK, Dnipropetrovsk region) and the Irshansk Mining and Processing Plant (IGZK, Zhytomyr region), as well as LLC “Mezhirichensky GZK” and LLC “Valky-Ilmenite” (both LLCs are located in Irshansk, Zhytomyr region). In addition, the production and commercial firm Velta (Dnipro) built a mining and processing plant at the Birzulivskyi deposit with a capacity of 240,000 tons of ilmenite concentrate per year.

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