Cairo 3A, a vertically integrated agri-commodity group active in trading, manufacturing, and food processing, announced plans to invest $150m over the next three years as part of an ambitious expansion strategy to enhance its industrial production capacity.
Alaa El Gamil, Vice President of the Industrial Sector at Cairo 3A Group, told Daily News Egypt that the company has begun developing Egypt’s first citric acid production plant, with an investment of $35m and an annual capacity of 35,000 tonnes. The facility is expected to begin operations in 2026.
According to El Gamil, the new factory will help reduce Egypt’s import bill by approximately $30m annually, with half of its production earmarked for export to markets in Europe and Africa.
He added that Cairo 3A has already invested over $50m in 2025, and plans to inject another $50m in 2026 to expand and upgrade production lines across its existing factories.
The group’s expansion program covers several product lines, including citric acid, sorbitol, mannitol, and starch derivatives, in addition to further investments in the food industry and poultry production sectors.
Export Expansion Plans
Cairo 3A aims to increase the export share of its total production to between 40% and 50% annually, El Gamil said. The company sees strong global demand for its strawberries, frozen vegetables, and fruit concentrates.
He revealed that the group’s exports reached $100m in 2024 and are expected to rise to $150m in 2025, with a target of $350m by 2028. The company also plans to boost production by 20% annually across its various factories to support export growth and balance import costs with export revenues—helping to mitigate the impact of currency fluctuations.
New Production Lines
Cairo 3A owns five main factories, including the National Company for Maize Products, which operates 11 production lines for processing maize, soybeans, starch, and glucose products.
El Gamil highlighted that the company is a pioneer in local sorbitol production—a sugar alcohol used as a low-calorie sweetener and in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Sorbitol output has grown from 12 tonnes to 50 tonnes annually, with plans to reach 100 tonnes by 2027, replacing imports that once dominated the Egyptian market.
The company has also invested in a new production line for Glucono Delta Lactone (GDL)—a natural food additive used in producing white cheeses such as Queshir and Feta.
Cairo 3A recently obtained Pharma Copia certification, allowing it to supply raw materials to local pharmaceutical companies and export to international markets. It began producing pharmaceutical-grade raw materials last year and continues to introduce new products to meet domestic industry needs and reduce imports.
El Gamil added that the company’s subsidiary, the Egyptian Company for Starch and Glucose, has begun producing modified starch used in the food and textile industries. Cairo 3A also owns factories for animal feed, tea, food concentrates, and flour production.
Agricultural and Poultry Expansion
As part of its agricultural expansion, Cairo 3A has started cultivating maize and soybeans to secure essential raw materials and reduce dependence on imports. The company has already planted two farms and is studying the expansion of an additional 6,000 feddans in the Al-Oweinat and Farafra regions.
In the poultry sector, El Gamil said Cairo 3A aims to produce around 60,000 tonnes of poultry meat annually, along with ready-to-eat products such as nuggets, strips, and breaded chicken. These will serve both domestic demand and fully export-oriented product lines.
