• Project to be built in Suez Canal Economic Zone, creating 3,000 jobs

• Investment reflects growing Chinese industrial presence in Egypt

• Plant aims to boost exports and strengthen local manufacturing

Chinese group Henan Zhongfu Industrial is planning a $2 billion investment to build an aluminum production plant in Egypt, according to a government statement released April 11.

The project was presented by Chairman Cui Hongsong during a meeting in Cairo with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. The meeting also included Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Hussein Eissa and Walid Gamal El-Din, head of the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone).

The plant will be built in East Port Said, within the SCZone, on a site covering more than 1 million square meters. It is expected to create around 3,000 jobs.

Cui said the project is part of the company’s plan to expand its industrial footprint globally and reflects confidence in Egypt’s investment environment and in the SCZone as a major industrial platform.

Prime Minister Madbouly reiterated the government’s support for the project, stressing the central role of industry in Egypt’s economic strategy.

A project aimed at boosting output and exports

According to the SCZone authority, the plant should help meet local demand, strengthen manufacturing capacity, and improve Egypt’s position in regional and international markets, including Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

Henan Zhongfu Industrial produces high-end aluminum alloy materials used in sectors such as packaging, electric vehicle batteries, electronics, aviation, and rail. The Shanghai-listed company has an annual capacity of 690,000 tons of processed aluminum and 750,000 tons of electrolytic aluminum, with exports to 45 countries.

The project adds to a broader wave of Chinese industrial investment in Egypt, spanning sectors such as textiles, automotive manufacturing, steel, energy equipment, and chemicals.

Egypt’s appeal to industrial investors is based on a mix of factors, including its access to multiple regional markets, existing trade agreements, and its position as a logistics hub linking Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

Walid Kéfi