CAIRO - 21 June 2026: Khaled Hashem, Minister of Industry, and Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, witnessed the signing of four cooperation protocols between the Industrial Modernisation Centre (IMC) and the Export Development Fund, Hassan Allam Group, EL Square, and the National Egyptian Railway Industries Company (NERIC).
The agreements are designed to support Egyptian exporters, strengthen local supply chains, accelerate digital transformation and smart manufacturing, and improve the competitiveness of Egyptian industry in domestic and international markets.
Under the first agreement, the IMC and the Export Development Fund will implement the “Quality, Conformity and Environmental Compliance Certification Support Programme” for exporters operating across nine sectors: food, engineering, chemicals, medical products, ready-made garments, home textiles, spinning and weaving, leather, and furniture.
A separate protocol with EL Square, signed under the “Smart Manufacturing for Industrial Facilities” initiative, will provide digital transformation and smart manufacturing solutions for industrial companies, with a particular focus on small and medium-sized enterprises.
The IMC also signed an agreement with Hassan Allam Group to develop local suppliers involved in the Group’s projects. The programme will help suppliers meet sustainability, green-building and carbon-emissions-reduction requirements.
Meanwhile, the agreement with NERIC will support the development of seven local suppliers during its first phase, enabling them to provide railway and metro rolling-stock components in line with the international IRIS standard, ISO 22163:2023.
Hashem said the IMC remains one of the Ministry of Industry’s key technical and executive bodies. He noted that the Ministry is expanding its role as part of a broader strategy to modernise Egypt’s industrial sector through greater use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in factories, while linking scientific research more closely to industry needs.
He said the agreements support Egypt’s efforts to localise manufacturing, increase local content and strengthen the global competitiveness of Egyptian products, in line with the country’s target of raising industrial exports to $100 billion by 2030.
The Minister added that the Ministry has identified seven priority sectors: ready-made garments, textiles, food and pharmaceuticals, automotive manufacturing, electrical and engineering equipment, electronics, and other strategic and enabling industries.
He also announced plans to launch new industrial investment funds in September to finance promising projects through direct investment and debt-swap mechanisms. A new platform for distressed factories is also being prepared to connect them with potential investors and support their return to operation.
Hashem further said Egypt aims to attract major global automotive manufacturers by leveraging incentives offered under the National Automotive Industry Development Programme, with the goal of raising annual vehicle production to 100,000 units by 2030.
The Ministry is also working on the “Productive Villages” programme to create jobs, support local industries and integrate villages into industrial supply chains. Development efforts will continue in Shaq El-Teeban, one of Egypt’s leading specialised hubs for marble and granite.
For his part, Farid said stronger exports depend on production that can compete globally, stressing that investment in quality is now essential for expanding into international markets.
He added that the government is seeking to reduce the time and cost of obtaining quality and international accreditation certificates by expanding access to accredited local laboratories, helping Egyptian companies improve efficiency and competitiveness.
Hatem El-Nawawy, Head of the Executive Authority of the Export Development Fund, said the agreement will help Egyptian companies obtain quality certifications and international accreditations, supporting the expansion of Egyptian products into global markets.
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