The project, developed by Genfex Egypt Pharmaceutical Industries, will see $150 million invested in its initial phase, with a further $70 million planned under a future expansion programme, according to a cabinet statement issued on Tuesday.
Investment and Foreign Trade Minister Hassan El-Khatib laid the foundation stone for the facility, which is expected to produce between 70 million and 80 million vaccine doses annually at the outset. At full capacity, production could reach up to 270 million doses per year per production line.
Under the operating plan, around 60 percent of output will be supplied to the domestic market, with the remainder exported to African and Arab countries, as well as other destinations approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The facility is intended to serve as a regional manufacturing hub, relying on partnerships with 15 international suppliers and technology partners, the statement said.
Egypt has prioritised expanding local vaccine and pharmaceutical production since the Covid-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains and access to essential medicines. Officials have repeatedly framed domestic manufacturing as a key component of national health security.
The complex is being built inside the SCZone, a state-backed industrial and logistics hub that has attracted increasing foreign and domestic investment in recent years. Authorities say the zone’s proximity to ports and transport networks is intended to support export-oriented manufacturing.
The project has been granted a so-called “golden licence”, a fast-track approval mechanism introduced by the government to accelerate large strategic investments.
Egypt has sought to increase private-sector participation across industrial sectors as part of broader efforts to raise exports, attract foreign investment, and reduce pressure on public finances amid ongoing economic strains.
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