Egypt's engineering exports surged to an unprecedented $3.1 billion in the first half of 2025, marking a 15% increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to Sherif El-Sayyad, Chairperson of the Engineering Export Council of Egypt (EECE). This figure represents the highest six-month export value ever recorded by the sector. El-Sayyad noted that June alone saw a 7% year-on-year rise in export value, reaching $475m, up from $445m in June 2024. He highlighted that this growth reflects the sector's sustained export momentum despite global headwinds and slowing demand in certain international markets. Several sub-sectors contributed to this strong performance, particularly cables, automotive components, electrical and electronic industries, home appliances, and transportation equipment. Notably, the metals sector achieved exceptional growth of over 260%, underscoring the improved global competitiveness of Egyptian products in this field. El-Sayyad added that engineering exports expanded significantly in key markets, with remarkable increases to European destinations including the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, and Spain. The sector also recorded growth in Asian markets such as the UAE, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, and China, alongside robust performance in African markets including Algeria, Kenya, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Tanzania, and the Central African Republic. The US market likewise witnessed notable gains. The Council Chairperson emphasised that these results reflect the competitiveness of Egyptian engineering industries on the global stage and support the sector's ability to meet its export targets for the second half of the year. He stressed the importance of maintaining export support programmes, expanding participation in trade missions and international exhibitions, and targeting new markets to sustain this positive trajectory. Mai Helmy, Executive Director of the Engineering Export Council of Egypt, expressed optimism about continued strong export performance through the end of 2025. She attributed this outlook to the council's efforts, including organising promotional events, participating in international exhibitions and trade missions, and implementing programmes to help small and medium-sized enterprises strengthen their export capacity. Helmy noted that the council's upcoming strategy will focus on expanding into promising African markets, especially where demand for Egyptian engineering products is growing. Additionally, the council aims to enter non-traditional markets in new regions worldwide to diversify the export base and reduce dependence on established destinations. She pointed out that current indicators remain encouraging, particularly given steady improvements across multiple sub-sectors within the engineering industries. These results, Helmy said, reflect the real capabilities of Egyptian companies and factories, which have demonstrated resilience and adaptability in response to global changes. Helmy concluded that the success of engineering exports is the product of close coordination between the government, the private sector, and export councils, highlighting the importance of continued collaboration to overcome challenges and unlock new opportunities in global markets.
