Imperialism and Multinational Banking: Italian Economic Initiatives in Egypt from 1882 to 1940 (Financial History)

Egypt’s central position in the Middle East made it enviable among leading imperialist powers, with competition unfolding across cultural, diplomatic, and economic spheres.Furthermore, the Egyptian case is of exceptional interest within the region because of the interplay of several countries and numerous colonies of foreigners.The Italian community, second in number only to the Greek, was deeply integrated in the Egyptian economy and society, yet existing historiography has largely overlooked the consequences of this multinational coexistence. This book examines Italian economic initiatives in Egypt from the late nineteenth century to the Second World War, focusing in particular on the banking sector as the cornerstone of Italy’s economic strategy, both as a driver of investment and as a key instrument for broader economic expansion.Drawing on largely unpublished banking and diplomatic sources, the book traces the history of Italian banks in Egypt, from the first venture established i