According to the Egyptian cabinet, the tour aims to strengthen exports, support economic and social development, and encourage local and foreign investment.
During the visit, Madbouy said the zone aims to create job opportunities and promote food and agricultural industries to meet local market demand and expand exports.
He stressed that the state is working to resolve any difficulties faced by investors. He also emphasized the government’s efforts to create a business-friendly environment and deepen industrial localization in partnership with the private sector.
Similarly, Madbouly noted that in luring Arab and foreign capital, Egypt aspires to become a regional industrial hub.
Benha zone, he added, specializes in food industries due to its proximity to agricultural areas and its strong food production base.
Madbouly explained that the support the government provides to investors in this zone and other areas aims to bolster the local market, increase goods availability, and stabilize prices.
He emphasized that this model of investment zones provides producers with the opportunity to manufacture their products at reasonable costs, ultimately contributing to price stability and better market balance.
During the tour, the Egyptian PM visited an exhibition showcasing products from industrial companies operating in the zone.
He inspected a range of food production facilities spanning both export-oriented and domestic supply chains. These included a company producing food alternatives, which exports 60 percent of its output, and another specializing in meat and poultry products dedicated entirely to the local market.
The tour also covered a food processing firm producing rice and peanuts, with 60 percent of its output exported and 40 percent supplied locally, alongside a frozen vegetables factory with an annual capacity of 17,000 tons and exports to 28 countries.
Madbouly further visited a company producing frozen fruits and vegetables, as well as a nutritional supplements manufacturer with a weekly production capacity of 1.5 million packages.
The Egyptian PM praised the quality of the products on display, saying they match international standards.
For his part, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Farid said investment zones represent a modern investment model based on integrated development. The model aims to establish investment communities featuring industrial, commercial, service, and logistics activities in planned and equipped locations.
Farid, who accompanied Madbouly during the tour, explained that the system provides fully serviced land and units developed by specialized developers, easing the infrastructure burden on the state.
The system also allows investors to obtain all necessary licenses, approvals, and permits through a single administrative authority: the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), the minister said.
Farid further highlighted that the Benha zone for small and medium industries spans 46 feddans, with investments worth around EGP 1.1 billion. It includes 60 industrial projects providing more than 2,800 direct and indirect jobs.
Operational since September 2021, the zone includes 147 industrial units, each ranging from 240 to 360 square metres, along with commercial and service facilities such as cold storage units, warehouses, and retail outlets.
According to Farid, the zone, which contains 51 operating projects covering 139 industrial units, has made tangible contributions to the country’s economic development.
GAFI has even requested additional land to expand the project due to strong investor demand, he noted.
Short link: