Egypt to Manufacture 75,000 Vehicles Annually in SCZone

The Egyptian Prime Minister attends the signing of a quadrilateral MoU to establish a car manufacturing complex in the Suez Canal Economic Zone. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Egyptian Prime Minister attends the signing of a quadrilateral MoU to establish a car manufacturing complex in the Suez Canal Economic Zone. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Egypt to Manufacture 75,000 Vehicles Annually in SCZone

The Egyptian Prime Minister attends the signing of a quadrilateral MoU to establish a car manufacturing complex in the Suez Canal Economic Zone. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Egyptian Prime Minister attends the signing of a quadrilateral MoU to establish a car manufacturing complex in the Suez Canal Economic Zone. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Egypt unveiled Tuesday a national strategy for the automotive industry in the country.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced the National Strategy for the Development of the Automotive Industry, which was launched from East of Port Said in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone).

Madbouly also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the localization of the automotive industry in the East Port Said Industrial Zone, with a capacity to manufacture 75,000 vehicles annually as a first stage, and the establishment of the joint manufacturing complex EPAZ.

The MoU was signed between the General Authority for the SCZone, the Egyptian Sovereign Fund, East Port Said Development Company and the Egyptian International Motors Company.

President of the SCZone Yehia Zaki, Executive Director of the Sovereign Fund of Egypt Ayman Soliman, Chairman of the East Port Said Development Board Karim Sami Saad, and Chairman of the Egyptian International Auto Group Khaled Noseir signed the MoU.

It stipulated conducting feasibility studies for this project and studying all its financial and technical aspects to establish a joint industrial complex to manufacture auto parts and accessories in the industrial zone East of Port Said.

The MoU also underscored the importance of enhancing the competitiveness of this industrial complex in line with the national strategy to meet the needs of the local and regional markets, as well as maximizing competition locally and internationally in this sector.

The PM indicated during his meeting with renowned car manufacturers on Tuesday to the facilitations, incentives and factors the SCZone provide for investors in this sector.

He underlined the integration of industrial zones and its affiliated ports that facilitate exporting cars from Egypt to African countries, as well as the investment advantages and features it enjoys compared to other global economic zones.

Madbouly referred to its geographical location that connects the Red and Mediterranean Seas through the Suez Canal, the world’s most important navigational corridor.



Egypt Inflation Unexpectedly Quickens to 26.2% in August

An aerial view shows a motorway in Egypt's capital Cairo on September 9, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
An aerial view shows a motorway in Egypt's capital Cairo on September 9, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
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Egypt Inflation Unexpectedly Quickens to 26.2% in August

An aerial view shows a motorway in Egypt's capital Cairo on September 9, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
An aerial view shows a motorway in Egypt's capital Cairo on September 9, 2024. (Photo by AFP)

Egypt's annual urban consumer price inflation rate unexpectedly accelerated to 26.2% in August from 25.7% in July, data from statistics agency CAPMAS showed on Tuesday.
Month-on-month, prices jumped by 2.1%, speeding up from a 0.4% rise in July. Food prices climbed by 1.8% in August after having eased by 0.3% in July and were 29.0% higher than a year ago.
A poll of 19 analysts had expected August urban inflation to ease to a median of 25.1%.
Sara Saada of CI Capital was one of the few analysts who had predicted inflation would accelerate.
"We expected this, as the August reading reflects energy price hikes that were announced in the last week of July. This included diesel, that has a broad-based effect," she said, speaking to Reuters after the figure was announced.
Prices rose over the last month due to higher summer produce prices, fuel hikes of 10-15% near the end of July, a 25-33% jump in metro tickets at the beginning of August and a 21-31% increase in electricity tariffs, partly in August.
Inflation had been declining gradually from September's record high of 38.0%, turning the central bank's real overnight borrowing rate, at 27.25%, positive in July for the first time since January 2022.