The meeting brought together stakeholders to discuss the project's objectives and set priorities for the upcoming year.
The TIGARA project, funded by the European Union and implemented in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), aims to enhance Egypt’s industrial competitiveness, expand trade, and support long-term economic development.
As part of its 2024-2027 government programme, Egypt seeks to localize its industry and strengthen its industrial capabilities.
In November 2024, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly revealed that the country plans to increase the industrial sector's contribution to national GDP from its current 14 percent to 20-30 percent.
In addition, the newly formed government, which took office in July 2024, has set ambitious targets to grow the industrial sector’s contribution from 17 percent to over 31 percent by FY2026/2027.
The government also aims to boost trade and increase exports to $145 billion by 2030.
Furthermore, Egypt plans to reduce customs clearance time to just two days by 2025 to facilitate trade further.
These initiatives align with the TIGARA project’s goals of enhancing market access and expanding Egypt’s global trade footprint.
This project is a joint initiative involving Egypt’s Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Investment and External Trade, and the UNIDO.
The committee members discussed key priorities during the meeting and approved the project’s 2025 work plan.
They also emphasized collaboration's importance in aligning the project’s objectives with Egypt’s national development goals.
Giacomo Bogo, programme manager for trade, investments, and digital transformation at the EU delegation to Egypt, highlighted the project’s role in strengthening the EU-Egypt partnership.
He said the project aims to enhance industrial resilience and competitiveness, supporting long-term and inclusive growth.

Patrick Jean Gilabert, the UNIDO representative in Egypt, described the project as an example of transformative partnerships.
He emphasized that the TIGARA project, in collaboration with the Egyptian government and the EU, helps lay the foundation for a more sustainable, competitive industrial sector in Egypt aligned with global standards.
EU financial support
The TIGARA project is part of the broader Egypt-EU Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership, under which Egypt will receive 7.4 billion euros from the EU by 2027.
In January, PM Madbouly announced that Egypt had received the first tranche of this financial package, amounting to 1 billion euros.
This disbursement is part of the strategic partnership agreement signed between Egypt and the EU in March 2024.
Egypt has begun discussions with the European Union and international partners regarding the second phase of the Macro-Financial Assistance mechanism, which involves 4 billion euros in budget support and 1.8 billion euros in investment guarantees.
Additionally, several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) worth 67.7 billion euros have been signed with the EU to support Egypt’s economic development further.
In June 2024, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat and European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi signed four agreements for EU grants to Egypt, totalling nearly 300 million euros.
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