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Mounir Nakhla

CEO & Founder, Halan

Search every verified Mounir Nakhla interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Mounir Nakhla, founder and CEO of MNT-Halan, discussed the company's upcoming initial public offering (IPO) in a September 2026 podcast interview. He stated that the decision to go public was motivated by a desire for immediate access to liquidity and future capital, and he argued that the so-called "Egypt discount" applied to local companies was overstated, comparing the risk profile of non-banking financial institutions favorably to that of banks. Nakhla also said the company's business is measured by a few key indicators, such as disbursements, collections, and customer retention, and emphasized the importance of both digital and physical distribution channels. In an October 2026 television interview, Nakhla discussed MNT-Halan's regional expansion into Turkey, Pakistan, and the UAE, citing GDP and population as key factors in market selection, and mentioned that additional Gulf countries may be announced in the future. He credited the banking sector as a partner, noting that MNT-Halan does not take deposits and relies on wholesale lending from banks. Nakhla also commented on the concept of a "unicorn" valuation, saying that performance and actions matter more than the valuation itself, and expressed a desire to build an Egyptian company that can compete internationally rather than only seeing foreign firms profit from Egyptian consumers.

Recent appearances

Notable quotes

“I think it was overstated. If you compare non-banking financial institutions risk profile for consumer finance and you compare those with banks credit card risk numbers, same or banks might be worse. So I think it's a bit unfounded. However, however, the decree that came out from the central bank of Egypt had to be done. So, I think it is the right move. It is the job of the central bank of Egypt to protect the banki”

“So I think three main things. One, immediate access to sizable liquidity, future access if needed. So you're bolstering your balance sheet, you're bringing in money into the top co. So it's both whether it's subsidiary level or top core level. Number two is whenever we were discussing the top co valuation we had some random investors not so many but quite a few that would mention what about the Egypt discount and I'd”

“I’ve always been frustrated that big companies come from abroad to sell to the Egyptian citizen and profit from them; this is considered importing a burden on our currency, strengthening their economy. These companies also hire, grow, and have a base of investors. So why shouldn’t there be an Egyptian company with a specific product? And there are many Egyptian companies in manufacturing, exporting, etc., but in our ”

“I always owe all my success to the banks. We could never have existed today and stood on our feet without the banking sector; the banking sector is a partner, a partner, a partner to us, without a doubt. Today, we do not take deposits. So, no citizen gives me deposits, and I can’t take deposits. Who takes deposits? Banks. So, the banks lend me wholesale. And we finance the projects and individuals ourselves. They giv”

“I always say that I owe all my success to the banks. It would have been impossible for us to be here today, standing on our feet, without the banking sector. The banking sector is definitely our partner. We don't take deposits today. So no citizen gives me deposits; I cannot take deposits. Who takes deposits? Banks. So the banks lend to me wholesale. And we finance the projects and individuals. The relationship is ve”

“A unicorn is just a valuation. It’s the result of actions; the actions are more important than the valuation. The valuation is just the price, like asking how much a Mercedes or some other car costs. It doesn’t matter what it costs; what matters is how fast it goes, what the engine is like, how the leather is, the suspension, and if there are airbags in case of an accident. So the product is more important than its p”

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