IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/erg/wpaper/875.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Determinants of FDI Location in Egypt: Empirical Analysis Using Governorate Panel Data

Author

Listed:
  • Shima’a Hanafy

    (Philipps-University Marburg, Germany)

Abstract

We empirically analyze the determinants of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) in Egypt employing a novel panel dataset of 26 Egyptian governorates for the period 1992–2008. Using the case of Arab FDI to Egypt, we also investigate whether FDI location determinants are different depending on the similarity of culture and language between FDI source and host region. Our results indicate that domestic private investment, well-functioning Free Zones, and labor abundance positively affect FDI location. In contrast to results from other countries, we do not find a significant effect of concentration of previous FDI stocks on the location of inward FDI. Moreover, regional investment preferential policies in Egypt ? with the exception of Free Zones ? do not affect the unequal spatial FDI distribution. Finally, we find that the location of Arab FDI inflows to Egypt is not sensitive to the usual determinants. Arab investors are more willing to invest in less investment-agglomerated areas and less affected by economic considerations and incentives.

Suggested Citation

  • Shima’a Hanafy, 2014. "Determinants of FDI Location in Egypt: Empirical Analysis Using Governorate Panel Data," Working Papers 875, Economic Research Forum, revised Nov 2014.
    • Handle: RePEc:erg:wpaper:875
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://erf.org.eg/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/875.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: http://bit.ly/2mamzCK
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Crozet, Matthieu & Mayer, Thierry & Mucchielli, Jean-Louis, 2004. "How do firms agglomerate? A study of FDI in France," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 27-54, January.
    2. Head, Keith & Ries, John & Swenson, Deborah, 1995. "Agglomeration benefits and location choice: Evidence from Japanese manufacturing investments in the United States," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(3-4), pages 223-247, May.
    3. Isabel Faeth, 2009. "Determinants Of Foreign Direct Investment – A Tale Of Nine Theoretical Models," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(1), pages 165-196, February.
    4. Du, Julan & Lu, Yi & Tao, Zhigang, 2012. "Institutions and FDI location choice: The role of cultural distances," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 210-223.
    5. Sekkat, Khalid, 2014. "Is There Anything Special with Intra-Arab Foreign Direct Investment?," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 29, pages 139-164.
    6. Peter Nunnenkamp & Rudi Stracke, 2008. "Foreign Direct Investment In Post-Reform India: Likely To Work Wonders For Regional Development?," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 33(2), pages 55-84, December.
    7. Lucas, Robert E, Jr, 1990. "Why Doesn't Capital Flow from Rich to Poor Countries?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(2), pages 92-96, May.
    8. Masahisa Fujita & Paul Krugman & Anthony J. Venables, 2001. "The Spatial Economy: Cities, Regions, and International Trade," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262561476, December.
    9. Broadman, Harry G. & Xiaolun Sun, 1997. "The distribution of foreign direct investment in China," Policy Research Working Paper Series 1720, The World Bank.
    10. Gustavo J. Bobonis & Howard J. Shatz, 2007. "Agglomeration, Adjustment, and State Policies in the Location of Foreign Direct Investment in the United States," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 89(1), pages 30-43, February.
    11. Fabienne Boudier‐Bensebaa, 2005. "Agglomeration economies and location choice: Foreign direct investment in Hungary," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 13(4), pages 605-628, October.
    12. Sun, Qian & Tong, Wilson & Yu, Qiao, 2002. "Determinants of foreign direct investment across China," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 79-113, February.
    13. Pierre‐Guillaume Méon & Khalid Sekkat, 2004. "Does the Quality of Institutions Limit the MENA's Integration in the World Economy?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(9), pages 1475-1498, September.
    14. Noorbakhsh, Farhad & Paloni, Alberto & Youssef, Ali, 2001. "Human Capital and FDI Inflows to Developing Countries: New Empirical Evidence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 29(9), pages 1593-1610, September.
    15. Devereux, Michael P. & Griffith, Rachel & Simpson, Helen, 2007. "Firm location decisions, regional grants and agglomeration externalities," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(3-4), pages 413-435, April.
    16. Cavallo, Eduardo & Daude, Christian, 2011. "Public investment in developing countries: A blessing or a curse?," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 65-81, March.
    17. Barbara M. Roberts & Abdulaziz Almahmood, 2009. "Source Country Characteristics and the Inflow of Foreign Direct Investment into Saudi Arabia," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(12), pages 1730-1746, December.
    18. Du, Julan & Lu, Yi & Tao, Zhigang, 2008. "Economic institutions and FDI location choice: Evidence from US multinationals in China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 412-429, September.
    19. Harry G. Broadman & Xiaolun Sun, 1997. "The Distribution of Foreign Direct Investment in China," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(3), pages 339-361, May.
    20. Ali A. Bolbol & Ayten M. Fatheldin, 2006. "Foreign and Intra‐Arab Capital Flows in the Arab Countries, 1990–2003," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(9), pages 1267-1293, September.
    21. Cheng, Leonard K. & Kwan, Yum K., 2000. "What are the determinants of the location of foreign direct investment? The Chinese experience," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(2), pages 379-400, August.
    22. Scharfstein, David S & Stein, Jeremy C, 1990. "Herd Behavior and Investment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(3), pages 465-479, June.
    23. Feenstra, Robert C. & Hanson, Gordon H., 1997. "Foreign direct investment and relative wages: Evidence from Mexico's maquiladoras," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(3-4), pages 371-393, May.
    24. Wang, Jin, 2013. "The economic impact of Special Economic Zones: Evidence from Chinese municipalities," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 133-147.
    25. Sergio Mariotti & Lucia Piscitello & Stefano Elia, 2010. "Spatial agglomeration of multinational enterprises: the role of information externalities and knowledge spillovers," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 10(4), pages 519-538, July.
    26. Gao, Ting, 2003. "Ethnic Chinese networks and international investment: evidence from inward FDI in China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(4), pages 611-629, August.
    27. Keith Head & John C. Ries & Deborah L. Swenson, 1994. "The Attraction of Foreign Manufacturing Investments: Investment Promotion and Agglomeration Economies," NBER Working Papers 4878, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    28. Sergio Mariotti & Lucia Piscitello, 1995. "Information Costs and Location of FDIs within the Host Country: Empirical Evidence from Italy," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 26(4), pages 815-841, December.
    29. John H. Dunning & Sarianna M. Lundan, 2008. "Multinational Enterprises and the Global Economy, Second Edition," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3215.
    30. Venables, Anthony J, 1996. "Equilibrium Locations of Vertically Linked Industries," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 37(2), pages 341-359, May.
    31. Head, Keith & Ries, John, 1996. "Inter-City Competition for Foreign Investment: Static and Dynamic Effects of China's Incentive Areas," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 38-60, July.
    32. Cletus C. Coughlin & Eran Segev, 2000. "Foreign Direct Investment in China: A Spatial Econometric Study," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(1), pages 1-23, January.
    33. Coughlin, Cletus C & Terza, Joseph V & Arromdee, Vachira, 1991. "State Characteristics and the Location of Foreign Direct Investment within the United States," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 73(4), pages 675-683, November.
    34. Thomas Halvorsen, 2012. "Size, Location and Agglomeration of Inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the United States," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(5), pages 669-682, June.
    35. Guimaraes, Paulo & Figueiredo, Octavio & Woodward, Douglas, 2000. "Agglomeration and the Location of Foreign Direct Investment in Portugal," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 115-135, January.
    36. Canfei He, 2002. "Information costs, agglomeration economies and the location of foreign direct investment in China1," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(9), pages 1029-1036.
    37. Yuko Kinoshita & Ashoka Mody, 2001. "Private information for foreign investment in emerging economies," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 34(2), pages 448-464, May.
    38. Crozet, Matthieu & Mayer, Thierry & Mucchielli, Jean-Louis, 2004. "How do firms agglomerate? A study of FDI in France," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 27-54, January.
    39. John H Dunning, 1988. "The Eclectic Paradigm of International Production: A Restatement and Some Possible Extensions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 19(1), pages 1-31, March.
    40. Head, C. Keith & Ries, John C. & Swenson, Deborah L., 1999. "Attracting foreign manufacturing: Investment promotion and agglomeration," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 197-218, March.
    41. Pierre-Guillaume Méon & Khalid Sekkat, 2013. "The Formal and Informal Framework of Foreign Direct Investment," Working Papers 810, Economic Research Forum, revised Dec 2013.
    42. Zhang, Kevin Honglin & Markusen, James R., 1999. "Vertical multinationals and host-country characteristics," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(2), pages 233-252, August.
    43. World Bank, 2007. "Arab Republic of Egypt - Improving Quality, Equality, and Efficiency in the Education Sector : Fostering a Competent Generation of Youth," World Bank Publications - Reports 19250, The World Bank Group.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shima'a Hanafy, 2015. "Determinants of FDI Location in Egypt—Empirical Analysis Using Governorate Panel Data," MAGKS Papers on Economics 201513, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    2. Nielsen, Bo Bernhard & Asmussen, Christian Geisler & Weatherall, Cecilie Dohlmann, 2017. "The location choice of foreign direct investments: Empirical evidence and methodological challenges," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 62-82.
    3. Blanc-Brude, Frédéric & Cookson, Graham & Piesse, Jenifer & Strange, Roger, 2014. "The FDI location decision: Distance and the effects of spatial dependence," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 797-810.
    4. Megha Mukim & Peter Nunnenkamp, 2012. "The Location Choices of Foreign Investors: A District-level Analysis in India," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(7), pages 886-918, July.
    5. Jonathan Jones, 2017. "Agglomeration economies and the location of foreign direct investment: A meta-analysis," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(5), pages 731-757, November.
    6. Kandogan, Yener, 2012. "Regional foreign direct investment potential of the states within the US," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 64(4), pages 306-322.
    7. Andrea Ascani & Riccardo Crescenzi & Simona Iammarino, 2015. "Economic Institutions and the Location Strategies of European Multinationals in their Geographical Neighbourhood," LEQS – LSE 'Europe in Question' Discussion Paper Series 97, European Institute, LSE.
    8. Yanjing Chen & Yu Gao & Ying Ge & Juan Li, 2015. "Regional financial development and foreign direct investment," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 52(2), pages 358-373, February.
    9. Du, Julan & Lu, Yi & Tao, Zhigang, 2008. "Economic institutions and FDI location choice: Evidence from US multinationals in China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 412-429, September.
    10. Chen, George Shih-Ku, 2009. "Agglomeration economies and the location of Taiwanese investment in China," MPRA Paper 13896, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. George Shih-Ku Chen, 2009. "Determinants Of Taiwanese Investment In China: An Agglomeration Economies-Based Perspective," Monash Economics Working Papers 01-09, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    12. Chen, George Shih-Ku, 2009. "Determinants of Taiwanese investment in China: An agglomeration economies-based perspective," MPRA Paper 13894, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Chen, Yanjing, 2009. "Agglomeration and location of foreign direct investment: The case of China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 549-557, September.
    14. Elina De Simone & Marcella D’Uva, 2017. "Social Support, Industrial Parks and FDI Location Choice Across Hungarian Counties," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 133(3), pages 1031-1045, September.
    15. Shaoming Cheng, 2008. "How can western China attract FDI? A case of Japanese investment," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 42(2), pages 357-374, June.
    16. Fabienne Boudier‐Bensebaa, 2005. "Agglomeration economies and location choice: Foreign direct investment in Hungary," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 13(4), pages 605-628, October.
    17. Fosu, Prince, 2016. "Infrastructure and Foreign Direct Investment Inflows: Evidence from Ghana," MPRA Paper 100375, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 13 May 2020.
    18. Christian Hilber & Ioan Voicu, 2010. "Agglomeration Economies and the Location of Foreign Direct Investment: Empirical Evidence from Romania," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(3), pages 355-371.
    19. Junjie Hong, 2009. "Firm Heterogeneity and Location Choices: Evidence from Foreign Manufacturing Investments in China," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 46(10), pages 2143-2157, September.
    20. Shaoming Cheng, 2007. "Structure of Firm Location Choices: An Examination of Japanese Greenfield Investment in China," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 21(1), pages 47-73, March.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:erg:wpaper:875. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sherine Ghoneim (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/erfaceg.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.