In early 2005, the QIZ started operating in 7 designated industrial locations in Egypt. Starting with an initial 397 qualified companies in these 7 locations, QIZ has rapidly expanded to encompass over 15 currently designated industrial zones, with nearly 700 qualified companies, and more qualifying each quarter, amounting to more than $1 billion annual revenues. 

As global competitiveness increases, Egypt’s QIZ offers investors significant long-term advantages over other preferential trade agreements due to its ongoing commitment with no expiration date and no reduction in tariff schedules. 

The benefits of Egypt's QIZ are various; ease of access to US markets being the most important, with open, unlimited quota as well as exemption of tariff and non-tariff barriers. Other benefits include: low factor costs as well as a huge supply of labor force. Enhanced by the added benefits of trade agreements with other markets, Egypt is ideally-suited to provide countless economic benefits to industries located within these zones. The positive economic impact of the QIZ to date has been such that foreign investors and Egyptian companies alike are continually seeking to locate and qualify their businesses within these zones in order to increase their competitiveness and profitability. 

Exports from Egypt have greatly risen since QIZ began, with the bulk of these exports going to US markets. Furthermore, companies exporting under the QIZ have enjoyed higher profits as a result of their unrestricted duty-free access. 

As QIZ companies continually expand to keep up with this growth, Egypt is benefiting through a decreasing unemployment and a strengthening economy which would eventually strengthen Egypt's position on the world economic map.