Egypt’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Hussein Eissa held talks with Deng Zhaojing, President of China National Chemical Engineering Group Corporation (CNCEC), to discuss the company’s plans to expand its investments in Egypt and review progress on its ongoing industrial projects, particularly in the petrochemical and value-added manufacturing sectors.
The meeting, held at the government’s headquarters in the New Administrative Capital, focused on CNCEC’s current projects in Egypt and opportunities for the Chinese engineering giant to participate in new strategic investments aligned with the country’s industrial development agenda.
Among the projects reviewed were the Soda Ash production project in New Alamein and the Red Sea National Petrochemicals Complex in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), in addition to other projects in which CNCEC is participating as either a general contractor or an investor.
The discussions took place within the framework of Egypt’s strategy to localize value-added industries, increase local manufacturing content and deepen industrial cooperation with China.
Eissa highlighted the strength of Egyptian-Chinese relations, noting that cooperation in the petroleum, mining and petrochemical sectors has become a key pillar of the bilateral partnership through the implementation of several strategic projects backed by the political leadership.
He said these projects contribute to expanding domestic manufacturing, reducing reliance on imports, opening new export markets for Egyptian products and enhancing the country’s industrial competitiveness.
The deputy prime minister added that Egypt’s advanced infrastructure, strategic geographic location and investment-friendly environment position the country as a regional hub for manufacturing, trade and exports, while providing investors with access to Middle Eastern and African markets.
Eissa said the government places high priority on localizing strategic industries, highlighting the Soda Ash project as a key initiative that will support downstream industries, strengthen domestic production, reduce import dependence and improve self-sufficiency.
He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting the project and accelerating its implementation, while continuing to provide a range of incentives and competitive advantages to domestic and foreign investors to encourage further foreign direct investment.
Commenting on the Red Sea National Petrochemicals Complex, Eissa described it as one of Egypt’s flagship industrial projects, emphasizing that the government will continue coordinating with relevant ministries and authorities to facilitate its implementation.
He said the project is expected to enhance Egypt’s petrochemical production capacity, expand the output of high-value petroleum and petrochemical products, and reinforce the country’s position as a regional hub for the petroleum and petrochemical industries.
For his part, Zhaojing highlighted CNCEC’s extensive experience in the petrochemical sector, describing the strong relationship between Egypt and China as a solid foundation for expanding joint projects and investment cooperation.
He said the Red Sea National Petrochemicals Complex is among the largest strategic industrial projects currently under development, with plans to produce a diversified range of high-value petroleum and petrochemical products while leveraging Egypt’s strategic location and modern infrastructure.
Zhaojing noted that CNCEC has been operating in Egypt for nearly two decades and considers the country one of its most important strategic markets.
He said the group’s activities in Egypt include investments in and participation across several major projects, including the Soda Ash project, the Red Sea National Petrochemicals Complex, and metallic silicon and bioethanol projects.
He added that CNCEC is seeking to further expand its investments in Egypt and participate in additional strategic industrial projects in the coming period.
Eissa welcomed the company’s expansion plans, reaffirming the government’s commitment to supporting CNCEC’s investments, accelerating project implementation, maximizing local content, strengthening industrial supply chains and increasing value-added production across the Egyptian economy.
