Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh:
- Pharmaceutical Sector is one of the strategic sectors for boosting exports and accessing new markets.
- MIFT deploys financial tools and enforces investment incentives to support manufacturers, and links them to expansion plans and international market penetration.
Eng. Khaled Hashem:
- MTI is ready to provide full support to connect manufacturers with researchers to facilitate pharmaceutical production projects.
- Leveraging advanced technologies and artificial intelligence in drug development researches is essential to save time, effort, and costs.
Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade (MIFT Minister), and Eng. Khaled Hashem, Minister of Trade and Industry (MTI), held an expanded meeting with pharmaceutical companies and representatives of the Export Council for Medical Industries (ECMI), to discuss the strategy for developing the medical and pharmaceutical industries sector. The meeting was attended by Dr. Hossam Osman, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, as well as senior officials from the Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE), Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA), the Export Council for Medical Industries (ECMI), as well as representatives of trade sectors, investment institutions, and representatives of “Panacea Biotec” and “Art Pharma”.
The meeting focused on enhancing sector competitiveness, increasing exports, attracting investment, and establishing an actionable roadmap for localizing production, deepening local component, integrating scientific research into manufacturing, and opening new export markets to ensure sustainable growth.
Discussions included strategies for attracting high-quality investments, enhancing the role of financial and investment institutions in expansion plans, and creating a coordinated framework among government entities to achieve targets for export growth, local industry development, and the integration of modern technologies in production, reinforcing Egypt’s position as a regional hub for medical and pharmaceutical industries.
Dr. Saleh emphasized that the medical and pharmaceutical sector is a strategic pillar for increasing exports and open new markets, particularly to African and emerging markets. He highlighted the MIFT’s role in deploying financial tools and enforcing investment incentives that support manufacturers while linking these tools to international expansion plans.
He added that deepening local manufacturing and localizing pharmaceutical raw materials industry are priorities to reduce import dependence and strengthen Egypt’s pharmaceutical security. Attracting new investment in biotechnology and advanced manufacturing will increase the sector’s added-value and improve regional and global competitiveness.
MIFT Minister underscored the importance of integrating research and development efforts between universities, research centers, and the industrial sector to develop and invent drugs, and analyze medical data, thereby accelerating the production cycle and increasing innovation efficiency within companies operating in the sector.
MIFT is coordinating with relevant authorities to streamline regulatory procedures, facilitate licensing and services for investors, which shortens the time required to incorporate projects and enhances the business environment. He highlighted the importance of provision of diversified financing tools to support expansion and production plans.
Eng. Hashem reaffirmed MTI’s commitment to connect industrialists with researchers to support pharmaceutical projects. He stressed the importance of employing advanced technology and artificial intelligence in drug research to optimize costs and efficiency.
He noted the government’s focus on supporting pharmaceutical manufacturing and exports, ensuring supply for domestic markets while enhancing Egypt’s presence in international markets.
MTI also aims to improve the efficiency of existing factories through technical support, technological upgrades, and compliance with international quality standards, enabling Egyptian companies to access new markets sustainably and positioning the sector as a high-value, globally competitive industry.
The meeting reviewed proposed policies to boost the growth of medical and pharmaceutical industries, including the development of targeted investment incentives, financing support for production expansion, and fostering collaboration between research institutions and manufacturers to accelerate innovation and produce high-quality, internationally competitive medical products.
Representatives of ECMI and pharmaceutical companies praised the meeting outcomes, emphasizing the importance of strengthening partnerships with government entities to support production expansion, access new export markets, and address operational and marketing challenges. They reviewed proposals to improve the business environment in a way that contributes to increasing the competitiveness of Egyptian products in foreign markets, while ensuring ongoing communication between the public and private sectors to achieve the industry’s growth objectives.
