Walid Hassouna: valU Targets EGP 30 Billion in Sales and EGP 1 Billion Net Profit in 2026
Walid Hassouna, CEO of valU, revealed that the company is targeting EGP 30 billion in sales by 2026, alongside net profits exceeding EGP 1 billion, according to figures disclosed in the company’s prospectus for its planned listing on the Egyptian Exchange.
Speaking exclusively to FintechGat, Hassouna said that achieving this milestone will rely on a combination of operational efficiency improvements, diversified funding tools, an expanded customer base, and the deployment of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.
Hassouna emphasized that Egypt’s consumer finance market is experiencing rapid growth driven by digital transformation and shifting consumer behavior. He noted that valU has emerged as one of the sector’s key players thanks to its swift expansion and reliance on advanced technologies.
“We currently hold around 30 percent of the consumer finance market and serve more than one million active users,” he said. “Our focus now is not on growing customer numbers, but on attracting high-quality, non-delinquent customers who use the application efficiently and contribute to achieving our profitability targets.”
Comparison with Banks
Addressing concerns that consumer finance companies may be encouraging overconsumption or competing directly with banks, Hassouna clarified that bank-issued consumer financing far exceeds volumes provided by non-bank consumer finance companies—by nearly 50 times.
“This clearly disproves the notion that consumer finance companies are the primary driver of changing consumption patterns in Egypt,” he said. “There is a tendency to exaggerate the impact of non-bank financing players on consumer behavior. Our role remains limited compared to banks, but we receive more media visibility simply because we advertise.”