The British University in Egypt (BUE), Egypt’s leading private British university, has partnered with AfricInvest, a pan-African private equity firm, to invest approximately $40 million in the university’s expansion and transformation plan.
Pending regulatory approvals, this investment will be one of the largest foreign direct investments in education in Egypt to date.
Despite the investment, the Khamis family, the founders of the university, will remain the majority shareholders.
The BUE President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mohamed Loutfi, has stated that the university is dedicated to providing a student-centred education.
The university looks forward to working with AfricInvest to identify new synergies and leverage the investment to improve its infrastructure and learning experience.
Farida Khamis, the Chair of the Board of Trustees, has stated that the capital injection, along with the ongoing support from the Egyptian government, will enable the university to continue the legacy of its late founder, Mohamed Farid Khamis.
This will be achieved by enhancing its capabilities and academic reach, and ensuring its leading role among educational institutions in Egypt, the Middle East, and Africa.
The BUE was founded in 2004 and offers a wide range of dual degree undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in partnership with its academic partners: Manchester Metropolitan University, London South Bank University, and Queen Margaret University. The degrees are based on the British model of higher education.
The capital increase will enable the university to strengthen its position in the higher education sector in Egypt and regionally by expanding the capacity of existing faculties, establishing new ones, diversifying its curriculum, broadening its educational offering, and implementing enhanced governance tools.
The university also aims to explore new opportunities outside its home market by working closely with AfricInvest to identify potential synergies and partnerships in Africa and the region.
Zilla Capital acted as the sole financial advisor for the BUE on this transaction.
