The Egyptian Prime Minister, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, witnessed the inauguration of six industrial mega projects in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) carried out by the private sector, as part of the national efforts to propel investments and support the national economy.
FanYang
The first project visited by Madbouly was the Egypt FanYang factory for textile printing and dyeing, which is part of the China-Egypt TEDA cooperation zone near Ain Sokhna. The project’s annual production capacity extends to 30,000 tons of clothing fabrics, blankets, and home furnishings with a value of $150 million. $60 million in investments were allocated for the project, which spans an area of 120,000 sqm. The opening comes within the framework of harnessing Egypt- China economic and trade cooperation, along with establishing a domestic textile industrial zone in Egypt.
Jushi-Egypt
Madbouly witnessed the inauguration of Jushi-Egypt’s new fiberglass production in the TEDA zone. Following the launch of the new production line, the factory was ranked as the fourth largest global project for the production of fiberglass, according to Jushi CEO Woo Ben. The factory exports its products through Egypt’s ports, Woo Ben added.
The new production line was established on a space of 120,841 sqm and includes an oven, a mill for quarried materials, and storage space for the final product. The new line cost $320 million to establish and aims to produce 200,000 tons of material annually, Woo Ben added. He asserted that this project comes within the framework of strengthening economic cooperation and trade between Egypt and China.
Mercedes-Benz’s Logistics Center
The minister’s tour included the projects inaugurated as a Mercedes-Benz logistics center in the Sokhna Industrial Zone.
Head of the General Authority for SCZone Waleed Gamal El-Din underlined its importance, stressing that the project is attracting investments from major international companies to help achieve the goals of the country’s Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS): Egypt Vision 2030.
Gerd Bitterlich, the newly hired CEO and president of Mercedes-Benz Egypt, said the logistics center is worth EGP 35 million and spans an area of 20,000 sqm. Bitterlich noted that the center can handle 12,000 cars annually. The center includes a yard for storing cars, a place for spare parts, and a maintenance workshop, he added.
Kadmar International for Shipping and Logistics
Dr. Madbouly also oversaw the opening of the Kadmar International for Shipping and Logistics. The project is a logistical platform for handling containers, goods, and cars, as well as preparing goods, such as food products, for export, according to the Vice Chairman of the Kadmar Group Medhat El-Qady. The platform acts as a middleman between seaports, airports, local markets, distribution zones, and industrial zones, El-Qady added.
The project will contribute to reducing carbon emissions through the use of solar panels and reduction of wait times. The project was launched ahead of schedule due to the positive role played by the SCZone and thanks to the support of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, El-Qady said. The project was built on an area of 109,000 sqm and had an investment cost of $35 million, he added.
Al-Ain Al-Sokhna GOEIC laboratories
Madbouly also witnessed the inauguration of the central laboratories of the General Organization for Import and Export Control (GOEIC) at Ain Sokhna Port, which will test imports upon arrival. The new laboratories will speed up the release of imports in line with international standards and ensure a prominent position for Egypt in foreign trade, Madbouly affirmed.
Minister of Trade and Industry Ahmed Samir announced that this project will reduce the testing time, avoiding the accumulation of products in Egyptian ports. Accordingly, the low-quality goods will be banned from entering the country, protecting the health and safety of Egyptian consumers, Samir continued.
The laboratories’ trial run in September was a success, announced Chairman of the GOEIC Essam Al-Naggar. The various testing laboratories cover a wide array of products, including leather and shoes, children’s toys, oil filters, fuel filters, and pumps. Furthermore, there are highly specialized laboratories including ones for acid and dry battery testing, spectral analysis and environmental testing, hydraulic stress, fractional motor testing, and for rims and tire testing. There is also a laboratory dedicated to testing household appliances such as heaters, refrigerators, washing machines, billet ovens, and heaters. The GOEIC is keen on implementing the highest international quality standards in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030, he concluded.
Agricultural Quarantine Testing Laboratories
Madbouly also witnessed the inauguration of an agricultural quarantine testing laboratory. The new laboratory aims to speed up the process of customs release, reducing the time spent at ports to no more than 48 hours, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation El-Sayed El-Quseir announced.
He noted that the establishment of laboratories at the ports greatly reduces this time as products will no longer need to be transferred to Cairo for testing. Seven different agricultural quarantine laboratories have been constructed specialized in testing for different issues, said the Head of Central Administration of Agricultural Quarantine Ahmed El-Attar.
This includes laboratories for examination of quarantine, fungal disease, insects, and viral diseases, as well as a room for storing samples El-Attar added. The quality measures will ensure that imports are free from pests, protecting Egypt’s agricultural wealth, he concluded.
