Egypt has granted four state-owned companies preliminary listings as part of the government's privatisation programme, the cabinet said on Sunday.

Three are from the petroleum sector — Engineering for Petroleum and Chemical Industries (ENPPI), Egyptian Linear Alkyl Benzene Company (ELAB) and Petroleum Marine Services — while the fourth is Maamoura for Reconstruction and Tourism Development.

The preliminary listings are a prelude to offering stakes in the companies on the stock exchange.

The three petroleum sector companies' capital totals $687 million, a separate petroleum ministry statement said.

Egypt has previously announced plans to list 30 companies on the country's stock exchange as part of a divestment programme agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Investment Minister Mohamed Farid Saleh has said that ‌four state-owned companies are expected to be listed before May 2027 and that the government had achieved or even surpassed targets for the IMF programme, such as the country's fiscal ⁠deficit and ​primary surplus.