The Ministry of Industry has held a roundtable with cement manufacturers to develop a roadmap for the sector aimed at stabilising the domestic market, meeting local demand, and expanding exports to international markets.
The meeting was chaired by Minister of Industry Khaled Hashem and attended by Mohamed Zada, Assistant Minister of Industry for Strategic Industries; Ahmed Hafez, Chairperson of the Building Materials Industries Chamber at the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI); Hassan Gabry, Head of the Chamber’s Cement Division; and ministry officials.
The meeting reviewed the performance of Egypt’s cement sector, which comprises 19 companies operating 22 factories with 46 production lines and a combined annual production capacity of 75.5 million tonnes.
Participants also reviewed cement and clinker production indicators over the past three years, improvements in capacity utilisation, and developments in the domestic market that have supported company growth alongside exports.
Manufacturers outlined several challenges facing the sector and proposed measures to address them. These included updating the Egyptian building code to expand the use of pozzolanic cement in construction, improving access to the export support programme, facilitating net-metering arrangements with electricity transmission companies to protect investments in solar power generation, and addressing urban encroachment around some cement factories in the governorates.
Speaking at the meeting, Hashem said cement is a key pillar of Egypt’s industrial sector, given its role in supplying urban development and infrastructure projects, supporting industrial exports, and increasing value added to the national economy.
He added that the sector has witnessed significant growth in production capacity and technological capabilities in recent years, enabling Egyptian companies to compete in regional and international markets and creating new opportunities for cement and related product exports.
The minister highlighted opportunities for factories to improve their production processes through operational, environmental, and technological upgrades.
Hashem said the ministry’s approach to the cement sector focuses on ensuring product availability and increasing market supply at fair prices, while preserving companies’ profitability and maintaining their exports to international markets.
This approach, he added, is intended to support domestic market stability and meet consumer demand at competitive prices.
The minister announced that a committee would be formed under the chairmanship of Mohamed Zada, Assistant Minister of Industry for Strategic Industries, with membership comprising representatives of the Cement Division, the Industrial Development Authority, and relevant ministries and government entities.
The committee will examine the challenges facing the cement sector in line with the ministry’s industrial policy.
Hashem also highlighted the need for cement manufacturers to increase production capacity allocated to the Egyptian market and expand export opportunities across international destinations, noting that the sector’s current exports do not reflect its existing production capabilities.
