Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel Al-Wazir conducted an extensive field tour that included inaugurating and inspecting several major industrial projects in Monufeya, alongside a visit to a specialised fire-fighting equipment factory in Cairo. The tour began in the industrial city of Quesna, Monufeya, with a visit to Elaraby Group's factory complex. Al-Wazir inaugurated an engineered glass factory built on an area of 20,000 square metres, established with investments of $25m in partnership with the Japanese company Yuattsuchi. The factory produces various types of building façade glass—including double-glazed, thermal, and curved glass—with an annual production capacity of up to 2 million square metres. Relying entirely on locally sourced components, the factory plans to export 50% of its output to markets across the Middle East and Africa. It currently provides around 300 direct job opportunities. In the same complex, the minister laid the foundation stone for a new refrigerator and deep freezer factory affiliated with Elaraby Group. Built on an area of 107,000 square metres, this project will be established with investments of $108m in partnership with Japan's Sharp Corporation and is expected to achieve an annual production capacity of 900,000 units. Combined, the two projects are projected to create over 4,000 direct job opportunities. During his tour of the engineered glass factory, Al-Wazir inspected storage facilities, double-glazing production lines, insulation rooms, thermal ovens, CNC machinery, and durability testing zones. He also visited the exhibition area displaying glass applications in home appliances, architecture, automotive, and railway sectors. The minister's tour continued with a visit to ATCO Pharma for Pharmaceutical Industries, located in the second industrial zone of Quesna. Covering an area of 12,500 square metres and built with investments of EGP 1bn, the factory produces human and veterinary medicines, as well as nutritional supplements. Approximately 98% of its production is dedicated to the local market, while exports reach over 10 countries. The factory employs around 1,000 workers. During the visit, Al-Wazir toured the chemical and microbiological analysis laboratories, production and packaging lines for liquids and tablets, blistering and packaging sections, and a small exhibition of finished products. The tour also included a stop at the Bell Color factory for leather tanning and finishing, established on an area of 63,000 square metres with total investments of $200m. The factory employs around 938 workers and incorporates between 65% and 75% local content in its products. More than 90% of its annual production is exported to countries including China, India, Russia, the United States, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. With an annual capacity of 40 million square feet of semi-finished and finished leather, alongside 3,000 tonnes each of gelatin and amino acids, the factory's operations include collagen extraction and drying, dyeing, pressing, sanding, sorting, finishing, and packaging. The minister concluded his tour with a visit to Bavaria's factory for the production of fire-fighting equipment, located in the Gesr El-Suez area of Cairo. Spanning 4,574 square metres, the factory employs around 500 workers. Al-Wazir inspected its painting and welding lines, automated forming and coating sections, assembly lines, product and raw material testing labs, automated storage systems, and the export dock. At the end of the tour, Al-Wazir reaffirmed the state's commitment to supporting and expanding industry, describing it as the main driver of development and a cornerstone for building a resilient national economy.
