Law No. 159/198 mandates that a minimum of two members of a company’s board of directors must be nationals. Reports indicate that this requirement extends across various sectors, including computer and related services, telecommunications, and internet services. Art. 181 stipulates that the Government must be represented by at least two members on the administrative boards of companies for which it guarantees a minimum level of profits.

According to Art. 281 of the Executive regulations of the Companies Law, at least one manager of a limited liability company must be a national.

As a general rule, a foreign investor must apply for a security clearance as part of the procedure for investing in Egypt or setting up a company. Among the procedures and steps to be followed and documents required in the incorporation of companies and establishments, in accordance with Investment Law No. 72 of 2017 and Law No. 159 of 1981, are forms of the security background check for foreign founders or partners. Submission of the form in itself does not hinder investment in Egypt, except for certain nationalities where the security authorities do not allow for investment before clearance has been obtained. In addition, foreigners' investment, conducting business, and ownership of real estate properties in Sinai have some security-related restrictions, whereby the prior approval of the Sinai Development Authority is required.
It is reported that the security screening process is often lengthy, although companies are able to operate while they wait for approval. However, if the firm is rejected, it must cease operations and undergo a lengthy appeals process. Businesses have cited instances where Egyptian clients were hesitant to conclude long-term business contracts with foreign businesses that have yet to receive a security clearance. They have also expressed concern about seemingly arbitrary refusals, a lack of explanation when a security clearance is not issued, and the lengthy appeals process.

Only Egyptian joint-stock companies incorporated in accordance with Egyptian law can apply for and obtain Internet Service Provider (Class A) and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) Licenses in Egypt. This means that ISPs and VOIP services of foreign providers with no commercial presence in Egypt and minimum Egyptian stocks are not permissible in Egypt.

Art. 52 of Egypt Implementing Regulations for Law No. 82 of 2002 on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights requires an applicant who is not a resident of the Arab Republic of Egypt to appoint an Egyptian patent agent to whom all notifications, documentation, and submissions provided for under the Law or these Regulations shall be sent.

Egypt is a signatory of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) of 1996, but is not a signatory of its 2015 expansion (ITA II).

While it is reported that Egypt is striving to strengthen intellectual property (IP) protection and enforcement to counter cases of piracy and reduce patent backlogs, there are also concerns about the lack of an effective mechanism for the early resolution of potential patent disputes.

According to Art. 75 of Law No. 182 of 2018, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Egypt are entitled to secure at least 20% of available government contracts annually. This right was also established under the previous legislation, Tenders Law No. 89 of 1998.

Egypt is a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

Art. 59 of Law No. 182 of 2018 allows "local tenders" in which only Egyptian companies of a certain governorate can participate. This applies when the total price of the tender does not exceed EGP 2 million (approx. 127,000 USD).

Art. 35 of Law No. 182 of 2018 accords price preference to products that satisfy the percentage of Egyptian industrial components if their value exceeds that of the lowest unsatisfying product within the maximum of 15%. The article also stipulates that the bid submitted for services or technical works shall be considered the lowest price if its value is 15% (or less) higher than the value of the lowest foreign bid.

A preference for Egyptian Industrial Products in Government contracts for projects is applied by concerned entities according to Law No. 5 of 2015 Concerning the Preference of Egyptian Products in Government Contracts (Art. 3) and is operationalised by the Ministerial Decree No. 656/2015 (Chapter 2, Art. 2). They require concerned Governmental entities to include a clause in project proposals and contracts that obliges bidders and contractual parties to ensure that the Egyptian industrial content is not less than 40% of the overall value of the offer or contract.

Egypt is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA), nor does it have observer status.

Law No. 180 of 2018 imposes ownership conditions on foreigners. Art. 52 provides, with respect to media and websites that act as electronic backers for media outlets and websites in general, that non-Egyptian shareholders, who are natural or legal persons, may not own a majority of the shares or grant them the right of the management. The term “media” is defined as “any terrestrial or satellite television channel, or wired, wireless or electronic radio station”. Non-Egyptian providers may be licensed to operate in Egypt, provided approval is obtained from the Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCoM). This approval requires operating inside a specific media area and the ability to block any content involving, among other things, violence, suicide, self-injury or nudity.