Ahmed Hashem
Egypt places great importance on the automotive industry, as one of the sectors in which it enjoys significant competitive advantages, Minister of Industry Khaled Hashem.
The country possesses the capabilities needed to become a regional hub for automotive manufacturing in Africa and the Middle East, serving various regional markets, he added.
Egypt’s strategic advantages include its distinguished geographic location linking African, Arab, and European markets, as well as its network of free trade agreements with numerous countries and economic blocs, Hashem explained.
He highlighted Egypt’s industrial capabilities, infrastructure, and strong access to external markets.
The minister made the remarks during a meeting with representatives of Nissan, headed by Mohamed Abdel Samad, Managing Director of Nissan Africa. Discussion focused on the company’s expansion plans in the Egyptian market and its strategy to increase exports to African markets.
The two sides reviewed Nissan’s plan to become the largest car exporter to Africa.
The company exported 25,000 vehicles to Africa over the past three years.
The minister emphasised the Ministry of Industry’s commitment to localising automotive manufacturing and its feeder industries, which would help reduce reliance on imports and attract global automotive manufacturers to produce in Egypt.
He said that the Egyptian market has recently witnessed notable growth in the number of component manufacturing plants, along with increased investment volumes. However, he added, the market still requires additional component production to further raise the local content ratio in vehicle manufacturing.
For his part, Mohamed Abdel Samad reaffirmed Nissan’s commitment to expanding production in the local market and boosting exports to African markets.
He also invited the minister to visit the company’s factory soon to inaugurate its new production line, which is expected to produce an additional 10,000 vehicles annually in its first year of operation, with a local content ratio exceeding 50 per cent.
