Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, Kamel Al-Wazir, announced that a logistics zone is being established at Damietta Port to accelerate cargo handling and customs clearance, aiming to facilitate exporters.
Al-Wazir highlighted the role of the Ro-Ro shipping line between Damietta and Trieste, which transfers refrigerated containers of vegetables and fruits to Italy within 34 hours. The Trieste Port's railway links to European markets are expected to reduce export times and logistics costs for Egyptian exporters.
During a visit to the Damietta and Dakahlia governorates, Al-Wazir inaugurated an agricultural export facility and three pharmaceutical production lines at a cosmetics plant in the Gamasa Industrial Zone. The minister opened Agro Green for Exporting Agricultural Crops, a facility established on 1.1 hectares with an investment of about US$6.2 million. The plant has an annual capacity of 30,000 tons of fresh, processed, refrigerated, and packaged vegetables for export, produced entirely with local components. Its output is shipped to markets in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and France.
Al-Wazir said that the opening of this facility is part of Egypt's National Industrial Strategy, which targets raising the industrial sector's GDP contribution from 14% to 20% by 2030. The plan focuses on expanding local manufacturing, creating jobs, and advancing Egypt's green economy transition. He added that the Ministry of Industry is implementing a seven-pillar framework to localize manufacturing, boost exports, reopen idle factories, improve product quality, train skilled labor, and promote digital and green industries.
According to Al-Wazir, the new plant supports these goals by adding value to agricultural crops, improving export competitiveness, and generating around 3,000 direct and indirect jobs. He noted that the government is addressing industrial development "from the field, not from offices," through direct engagement with investors to resolve challenges. The ministry also aims to integrate SMEs into the national production network and restore inactive industrial sites.
Agriculture Minister Alaa Farouk stated that the factory's achievement as the largest exporter of sweet potatoes to the EU reflects the quality of Egyptian produce. He said Egypt's agricultural exports reached 7.5 million tons this year, an increase of 650,000 tons from last year, as part of the country's strategy to promote value-added agribusiness and rural employment.
Source: Daily News Egypt
