Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly inaugurated four major industrial projects on Sunday with total investments exceeding $153m, marking a significant expansion of manufacturing capacity in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE).
The projects, which span the renewable energy, home appliance, textile, and food sectors, are located within the Sokhna industrial area. Madbouly stated during the tour that the openings reflect a “serious government trend” toward localising the production of home appliances and engineering components to reduce reliance on imports and boost local manufacturing.
The centrepiece of the visit was the inauguration of the Elite Solar technology complex, representing an investment of $116m. The complex, located within the TEDA-Egypt developer zone, comprises two distinct facilities. The “Elite Solar Suez Technology” plant, built with $40m in investment, produces solar cells and electronic boards with an annual capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW). The second facility, “Elite Solar Green Energy,” represents a $76m investment with a 3 GW annual capacity for solar panels.
Madbouly noted that the solar complex supports Egypt’s 2030 vision to become a regional hub for green energy. Company officials confirmed to the Prime Minister that the local component in these products has reached 50%, a figure Madbouly described as a “good step” toward total localisation. The complex employs 70 Egyptian engineers and provides over 1,000 direct and indirect jobs.
In the engineering sector, Madbouly opened the Vanward factory, a Chinese-backed project exceeding $12m in investment. Spanning 26,000 square metres, the plant is designed to produce 500,000 gas water heaters and 2m heat exchanger component sets annually. Yang Zu, chairman of Vanward, said the facility targets exports to African, European, and Middle Eastern markets. During a tour of the production line, the Prime Minister spoke with a worker who had transitioned from another career path through specialised training provided by the company.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated the $20m Xin Jin integrated textile, printing, and dyeing complex. The 20,000-square-metre facility has an annual production capacity of 60m metres of fabric and 10,000 tonnes of yarn. Gao Duo, the complex manager, stated that 70% of the production is earmarked for export. The project aims to provide 390 jobs and focuses on high-value processes, including bleaching, embroidery, and knitting.
In the food sector, the $5m Mexicano Food Industries factory was opened within the Red Sea Copper developer zone. The plant produces 60,000 tonnes of corn grits annually. Ahmed Antar, chairman of Mexicano, informed the Prime Minister that 70% of the factory’s output is exported, with a specific shipment currently being prepared for Jordan.
Waleid Gamal El-Dein, chairperson of the SCZONE, said the projects demonstrate the zone’s practical approach to building “specialised industrial bases” rather than focusing solely on final assembly. He added that the SCZONE is focused on attracting investments that establish integrated manufacturing chains, thereby increasing value-added production within the region.
The visit was attended by several ministers, the Governor of Suez, and officials from the SCZONE and industrial developers.
