Before the 2011 Revolution, Egypt used to be the number one recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the southern Mediterranean region. Following the Revolution and due to political unrest, FDI decreased drastically. However, in 2015, a conference in Sharm El Sheikh was held to draw the attention of foreign investors and encourage progress and development. 

Alongside the Sharm El Sheikh Economic Conference, Presidential Decree 17 of 2015 was enacted and introduced to the participants of the conference. The decree provides for new amendments to Investment Law 8 of 1997 and other laws with the aim of improving the competitiveness of the investment climate in Egypt.