Egypt is working to revive its specialised industries, with a plan to restore the prominence of flax as a strategic, high-value raw material for the textile and manufacturing sectors, the country’s public enterprise minister said.
Speaking during a tour of the Tanta Flax and Oils Company, Minister of Public Enterprise Mohamed Shimy said there was a clear directive to integrate companies across the textile value chain to achieve sustainable growth based on the optimal use of local resources.
Tanta Flax and Oils is a subsidiary of the state-owned Chemical Industries Holding Company.
During his visit, Shimy reviewed the company’s performance, production capacities, and future vision. He stressed the importance of advancing the flax industry as a cornerstone for integration with spinning and weaving companies and for supporting manufacturing industries, which would help increase local production and reduce the import bill.
“Egyptian flax is considered one of the finest types globally in terms of quality and purity, which provides a great opportunity to expand the local production and manufacturing of its derivatives, and to export it as a high-value product to global markets,” Shimy said.
The minister toured the company’s various flax, wood, twine, and oil factories, as well as its workshops and warehouses. He also met with workers on the production lines, affirming that they were the “cornerstone of any real development process.”
Shimy noted that Egypt’s flax industry has deep historical roots, dating back to ancient Egyptian civilisation, and that Egypt was one of the first countries to cultivate flax and use it in textiles, medicine, and oils.
He called for increasing the utilisation of production capacities, improving the work environment, and adhering to maintenance programmes to ensure sustainable and efficient performance. He also urged the company to enhance health and safety standards, study partnership opportunities with the private sector, and update its sales and marketing policies to open new local and international markets for its products.
