Walid Gamal El-Din, Chairperson of the General Authority of the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), has kicked off a promotional tour in France to showcase investment opportunities across key sectors targeted by the Authority.
The tour began with Gamal El-Din’s participation in the Egyptian–French Business Forum in Paris, attended by Egypt’s Ambassador to France Alaa Youssef, alongside senior officials and representatives from leading French and Egyptian companies, government bodies, and institutions.
The forum drew strong interest from French companies active in retail, energy, food industries, logistics, construction, and aircraft manufacturing, as well as investment-support organizations such as Banque Misr’s Paris branch.
In his keynote address, Gamal El-Din positioned SCZONE as a strategic gateway for industrial and logistics investment in Egypt, offering a fully integrated business environment for both domestic and international investors. The zone includes six seaports on the Red Sea and Mediterranean, and four industrial zones equipped to host diverse sectors.
He highlighted SCZONE’s focus on specialized food industries, automotive and electric vehicle manufacturing, energy and automation technologies, and logistics services—sectors that drive local production, boost exports, and support Egypt’s economic growth.
Gamal El-Din emphasized that SCZONE offers a compelling platform for French companies seeking to expand into the Middle East and Africa while enhancing their global footprint.
During a series of bilateral meetings, Gamal El-Din met with Ghislain Ahraemann, CEO of Sodilac, to explore collaboration in specialized food products, particularly infant nutrition. Discussions centered on localizing part of Sodilac’s production within SCZONE to improve access to African and European markets.
He also met Maxime Nicolas, Head of International Relations at Airbus Helicopters, to discuss investment prospects in helicopter manufacturing and related services. Gamal El-Din affirmed SCZONE’s readiness to host advanced industries capable of meeting regional and global demand.
Further talks were held with Pierre Grogoggiat, Vice President of Schneider Electric, focusing on expansion in energy management, automation, and digital industries. Gamal El-Din underscored SCZONE’s robust infrastructure and logistics capabilities that support global operations.
The day concluded with a meeting with David Afram, CEO of the Veves Group, where discussions explored establishing advanced production lines in industrial engineering and electric mobility technologies, including battery manufacturing and EV components. Gamal El-Din reiterated SCZONE’s strategic role in attracting heavy industrial and digital investments.
