Egypt’s Minister of Industry, Khaled Hashem, inspected four factories on Sunday in Ismailia’s Second Industrial Zone, representing the food-processing, engineering and ready-made-garment sectors. He underlined the strategic importance of these sectors in creating jobs, expanding exports and advancing local manufacturing.
Hashem began his tour at Al-Sewedy Food Industries, a frozen-fruit-and-vegetable plant with investments of LE 350 million. The company relies entirely on local inputs, exports to 21 countries and provides 500 jobs.
He reviewed the production lines for sweetcorn and strawberries and discussed expansion plans with the management.
He then visited Atos, the Egyptian European Energy Technology Company, which manufactures power-generation units. With investments of LE 600 million, the plant produces 1,800 units annually, with 43 per cent local content, and employs 180 workers.
The minister also inspected Salam International for Ready-Made Garments, which produces 1.2 million pieces annually, 80 per cent of which are exported to Europe and the United States. The factory, with investments of LE 25 million, provides 650 jobs.
The final stop was Two M Electric, a major engineering plant with investments totalling LE 1.2 billion. Its products, which have local content ranging from 54 to 100 per cent, include transformers, electrical panels and copper components. The company exports to Iraq, Libya, Lebanon and Kenya and employs more than 1,000 workers.
Speaking during the tour, Hashem said that the food and garment industries are pillars of the national economy, capable of creating hundreds of thousands of quality jobs and expanding Egypt’s export footprint. He added that engineering industries are a priority for the ministry, serving as a driver of local manufacturing and technology localisation while enhancing the competitiveness of Egyptian products in regional and international markets.
