Investments in Egypt's beverage and juice industry are worth approximately EGP 8bn, according to Ahmed al-Wakil, head of the Egyptian Federation of Chamber of Commerce. Wakil added that the sector exported an estimated $180m to foreign markets per year. According to Wakil, the beverage and juice industry grew more than 15% over the last five years, in light of an increasing number of Egyptian consumers. "We must focus on market research and study consumer behaviour in order to expand business in the near future," said Minister of Supply Khaled Hanafy. At a conference focusing on the beverage and juice industry, Hanafy mentioned that the free trade agreement between Arab countries has failed to increase intra-regional trade among Arab countries. He requested that economic policymakers develop and impose a unified set of specifications to facilitate the launch of inter-Arab commercial traffic. Hanafy explained that foreign markets are open to Egyptian exports, particularly markets of the Arab countries and East Africa. "A 3.4% sector growth rate represents limited growth in light of expansion into foreign markets," Hanafy added. "Great and promising opportunities exist for the beverage sector and food industries," said Ahmed Sheikh, General Manager of PepsiCo North Africa. Sheikh said Egypt is one of the largest and most important markets in the region and has garnered attention from local and international companies as a result. PepsiCo provides 11,000 direct employment opportunities in its 11 factories across Egypt, in addition to 5,000 indirect jobs.
