Dr. Mohamed Farid:
- We aim to improve the investment environment and streamline procedures to boost production and enhance export competitiveness
- We are committed to positioning Egypt as a leading production and export platform, and Nissan’s investments reflect our opportunity to strengthen local industry
As part of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade’s efforts to enhance the competitiveness of the Egyptian market and attract high-quality investments, Dr. Mohamed Farid, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, met with officials from Nissan Egypt to review the company’s current and future projects, as well as its expansion plans in the automotive sector.
This comes within the framework of supporting export-oriented industrial expansion and deepening local content, contributing to increasing the value added of the national industry and enhancing the competitiveness of Egyptian products in regional and global markets.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Jihan Saleh, Advisor to the Prime Minister for Economic Affairs; Mr. Mohamed Abdel Samad, Managing Director of Nissan Africa; and Mr. Sami El-Mahlawi, Government Relations Director at the company.
During the meeting, the Minister reviewed the Ministry’s efforts to improve the investment climate and create a more attractive and competitive business environment through simplifying procedures, accelerating the issuance of licenses and approvals, and providing customs facilitation, in addition to the state’s efforts to establish direct shipping lines to facilitate the access of Egyptian automotive exports to international markets and reduce transportation costs.
Dr. Mohamed Farid affirmed that the company’s planned expansions represent an important step toward reinforcing Egypt’s position as a regional hub for automotive manufacturing and export. He noted the potential to direct locally manufactured vehicles to global markets, leveraging advanced Japanese expertise in the sector, as well as Egypt’s competitive advantages, including its strategic geographic location and export-supporting trade agreements.
The Minister added: “We are committed to positioning Egypt as a leading production and export platform, and Nissan’s investments reflect our opportunity to strengthen local industry, increase production, and expand strongly into global markets.”
He further stressed the importance of deepening local manufacturing and increasing the share of locally produced components, thereby enhancing reliance on domestic production, supporting industrial sustainability, improving product quality, and reducing overall costs—ultimately strengthening the competitiveness of Egyptian vehicles both domestically and internationally.
This meeting aligns with the Ministry’s vision to enhance the competitiveness of the investment climate, attract value-added investments, and support export-oriented production expansion, contributing to increased exports, job creation, and the integration of the Egyptian economy into regional and global value chains, while driving sustainable economic growth in the coming phase.
On his part, Eng. Mohamed Abdel Samad, Managing Director of Nissan Africa, stated: “We reaffirm Nissan’s continued commitment to the Egyptian market for over 20 years. Nissan Egypt has become a strategic hub for manufacturing and export to the African continent, having exported more than 25,000 vehicles to various African markets. Egypt’s strategic geographic location supports our expansion plans across the continent, and we look forward to leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to expand exports, in line with the Egyptian government’s vision to promote industrial exports and enhance the competitiveness of local products, while positioning Egypt as a regional hub for manufacturing and export to African and international markets. This comes alongside Nissan Egypt’s announcement of assembling a third model at its fully owned plant in Egypt, reflecting our confidence in the Egyptian market and its role as a regional industrial hub.”.
