Khaled Hashem, Egypt’s Minister of Industry, and Ibrahim Saber, Governor of Cairo, conducted an extensive inspection tour of five marble and granite manufacturing plants, in addition to the Mining Industries and Marble Technology Center, in the Shaq El-Thoban Industrial Area, one of the largest marble and granite clusters in the Middle East.
The visit aimed to assess production processes on the ground and identify key challenges facing manufacturers within the zone.
During the tour, Hashem reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to providing comprehensive support to industrial zones and facilitating procedures for manufacturers. He stressed the importance of completing infrastructure works in Shaq El-Thoban and accelerating efforts to regularise the status of unlicensed factories to integrate them into the formal economy.
The minister noted that legalising factory status would enable businesses to access technical support and government services more efficiently, while strengthening their capacity to expand into export markets.
Manufacturers, for their part, highlighted the need to increase the availability of skilled labour through the establishment of a dedicated training centre. They also called for improvements to infrastructure and essential services, including healthcare and ambulance facilities within the industrial zone.
Production capacities and export performance
The tour began at United Marble and Granite Company, built on a 4,300-square-metre site with total investments of EGP 70m. The plant has an annual production capacity of 390,000 square metres and a local content ratio of 50%. It exports 40% of its output to markets across Europe, Asia and Africa, and provides 40 permanent and temporary jobs. The minister inspected the company’s production and processing lines during the visit.
Hashem then toured Global Stones, which operates on a 14,300-square-metre site with investments of EGP 100m. The factory produces 754,000 square metres annually, with a local content ratio of 80%, and exports its entire output to more than 73 countries worldwide. The company employs 140 workers. The minister reviewed its advanced Italian marble and granite production lines, which support both domestic and international market requirements.
The delegation also visited the Egyptian Company for Industry and Building Development, established on an 11,000-square-metre site with investments reaching EGP 1bn. The plant has an annual production capacity of 400,000 square metres and a local content ratio of 55%. The company exports nearly 15% of its output to regional and global markets, providing 250 direct jobs and approximately 5,000 indirect employment opportunities. Hashem inspected fourth-generation machinery integrated with an enterprise resource management system that enables real-time operational monitoring.
At Modern Marble, built on 25,000 square metres with investments of EGP 177m, the plant produces 120,000 square metres annually, with a local content ratio of 80.3%. The company exports around 85% of its output and provides 500 direct and indirect jobs. The minister toured the export-dedicated table manufacturing unit, CNC and decorative works facilities, and container preparation areas.
The tour concluded at Al-Al-Hassana Industrial Development Company, operating on 33,000 square metres with investments of EGP 250m and an annual production capacity of 300,000 square metres. The factory maintains a local content ratio of 80% and exports 60% of its production to Europe, the United States and Australia, providing 1,000 direct jobs.
Enhancing competitiveness
The minister also toured the Mining Industries and Marble Technology Center, affiliated with the Ministry of Industry, where he reviewed its research and development, quarry and mine evaluation, marble and granite, and laboratory departments.
Hashem underscored the centre’s vital role in enhancing the competitiveness of industrial minerals, stones, quarries and mines in line with international quality standards and best practices.
The visit reflects the government’s broader efforts to strengthen Egypt’s mining and building materials industries, enhance export competitiveness, and promote industrial integration within strategic production clusters, particularly in high-value export-oriented sectors such as marble and granite.
