The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has agreed to pump $150 million in direct investments in Egypt’s agriculture sector in partnership with the country’s private sector, a senior Egyptian government official said.

The investments aim at developing the country’s nutrition sector, introducing the newest technologies in manufacturing, as well as providing new job opportunities for the youth Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr was quoted as saying Emirates news agency Wam, which cited Ahram Online.

The IFC is a member of the World Bank Group, which focuses on developing the private sector in developing countries.

The deal comes following a meeting between Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi with World Bank chief Jim Yong Kim in New York on Thursday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings, where the two discussed cooperation between Egypt and the bank.

Nasr expressed her aspirations for further cooperation with the World Bank group, and hopes to sign new investment agreements during the upcoming annual meetings of the Bank in Washington in October.

According to the World Bank’s data, the current portfolio of the World Bank in Egypt includes 26 projects for a total commitment of $5.92 billion.

Egypt’s net foreign direct investment rose by 14.5 per cent to $7.9 billion in the 2016/17 fiscal year.