logo
Egypt allocates EGP 1.5bn to accelerate automotive industry in FY2025

Egypt allocates EGP 1.5bn to accelerate automotive industry in FY2025

Egypt has allocated EGP 1.5bn in its 2024/2025 state budget to advance the localisation of its automotive industry, a strategic move underscored by the inauguration of Sumitomo's largest global factory for automotive wiring harnesses in 10th of Ramadan City.
The Japanese manufacturer's new facility is expected to create around 10,000 jobs and serve as a key export hub for major European carmakers. Its opening reflects Egypt's broader efforts to deepen local manufacturing, reduce dependence on imports, and position itself as a regional leader in vehicle production and innovation.
The government's push to grow the automotive sector is part of its wider economic development strategy aimed at enhancing the investment climate and achieving industrial self-sufficiency. International confidence in this direction is growing. Fitch Solutions projects an uptick in Egypt's vehicle production in 2025, supported by expected exchange rate stabilisation and the easing of import restrictions. Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency has praised Egypt's progress in expanding production lines for electric vehicles and batteries—developments that are enabling more exports to the EU and encouraging local EV adoption.
The EGP 1.5bn allocation supports the National Strategy for the Localization of the Automotive Industry, originally launched in 2022. As of mid-2025, seven companies have joined the initiative, with three having already submitted invoices. An updated version of the strategy was approved in May and is set to take effect in July 2025.
This strategy is complemented by other major national initiatives, including the activation of the Automotive Industry Development Program (AIDP), which offers incentives to boost local value-added production. Egypt has also established the Supreme Council for the Automotive Industry and launched the Eco-Friendly Automotive Industry Financing Fund, under Law No. 162 of 2022, to further support sector growth.
Workforce development is also underway. In December 2024, the first batch of graduates completed the 'Android Automotive' programme—an initiative focused on building Egypt's capabilities in automotive software and smart vehicle technologies.
In terms of electric mobility, Egypt recently signed a contract to launch a joint stock company for the production of the country's first electric minibus. The model will seat 24 passengers, with an initial production target of 300 buses. A dedicated battery production line is also under development, with a projected annual output of 600 batteries by 2026.
Further investment is being directed into the Egypt Sat Auto project, with EGP 300m earmarked to produce a range of electric and conventional vehicles, buses, EV charging stations, scooters, and components.
Traditional vehicle manufacturing and assembly are also expanding. Among the notable projects is a Geely plant with two production lines and an annual capacity of 10,000 vehicles, 45% of which will be locally sourced. Al Nasr Automotive Company has achieved over 50% local content in its production of 300 buses annually. Meanwhile, the Egyptian German Automotive Company is producing 1,200 Mercedes vehicles and 3,000 Exeed vehicles each year.
Feeder industries are also gaining traction. Prometeon Tyre Egypt produces 1.1 million heavy truck tyres annually, with 70% destined for export and approximately 2,000 jobs created. Al-Mansour's vehicle filter plant, with over $10m in investments, manufactures more than 10 million filters each year.
At the heart of these efforts is Sumitomo's newly launched factory in 10th of Ramadan City—a flagship project that not only represents the company's largest facility worldwide but also underscores Egypt's growing role as a manufacturing and export hub in the global automotive landscape.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Egypt urges auto manufacturers to boost local value-added under revised industry programme
Egypt urges auto manufacturers to boost local value-added under revised industry programme

Daily News Egypt

time5 hours ago

  • Daily News Egypt

Egypt urges auto manufacturers to boost local value-added under revised industry programme

Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, Kamel Al-Wazir, held on Monday an extensive meeting with automotive manufacturers operating in Egypt to review recent amendments to the National Automotive Industry Development Programme (AIDP). Attending the meeting were the Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, senior officials from the Ministry of Finance—including the Deputy Minister for Tax Policies—the heads of the Egyptian Tax and Customs Authorities, and members of the programme's technical committee, alongside representatives from the Ministries of Industry, Investment, Foreign Trade, and Finance. Opening the meeting, Al-Wazir stressed that the updated programme is designed to provide meaningful incentives to manufacturers and ensure long-term sustainability by adopting a practical and realistic approach. He emphasised the need to enhance local manufacturing to scale up production and fully utilise existing industrial capacities and resources. The amendments were approved by the Ministerial Group for Industrial Development and the Supreme Council for the Automotive Industry, chaired by the Prime Minister, and were subsequently ratified by the Cabinet. Al-Wazir affirmed the state's readiness to support automakers in developing this strategic sector for mutual benefit. He also announced the conclusion of the transitional period on 30 June and instructed the Ministry of Finance to start disbursing entitlements to companies registered under the programme. The revised AIDP officially took effect on 1 July. The meeting reviewed the criteria for joining the updated incentive scheme, including increasing local value-added, expanding production volumes, attracting new investments, meeting environmental standards, and supporting development in priority regions. To qualify, manufacturers must produce at least 10,000 fossil-fuel vehicles annually, with a minimum of 5,000 units per model and local content starting at 20%, subject to biennial review. For electric vehicles, initial production must be at least 1,000 units, increasing to 7,000 by the end of the programme, with a starting local content of 10%, reviewed annually. Electric vehicles will receive 50% of the incentives linked to value-added and production volume and full incentives for new investment and environmental compliance. The maximum eligible car price is EGP 1.25m, with an engine size limit of 1600cc. Incentives are capped at 30% of the ex-factory price, up to EGP 150,000 per vehicle. Gas-powered vehicles must receive environmental compliance certification from an entity affiliated with the Ministry of Petroleum. To count as local content, at least 25% of the value must derive from genuine manufacturing or locally sourced components—not mere assembly. Both production and local content targets will rise over the programme's seven-year span. Incentives will be partially reduced if targets are missed, while manufacturers exceeding 35% local content will receive an additional EGP 5,000 for every 1% increase, beyond the capped amount. In priority development zones, companies producing over 100,000 fossil-fuel vehicles or 10,000 electric vehicles will be eligible for land cost reimbursement. These benefits complement existing customs and tax incentives granted under multiple legislations, including those governing customs duties, special economic zones, SMEs, VAT, property tax, and investment. Exporting companies may also benefit, as incentives are calculated based on total production, regardless of market destination. Additional bonuses will be awarded to firms that exceed programme targets. The new incentive calculation methodology, including examples, was explained during the meeting. Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El-Khatib reiterated that the revised programme aims to establish a genuine automotive manufacturing base in Egypt. He pointed to the country's competitive advantages and said the amendments reflect the government's ambition to scale up both vehicle and component production. The Deputy Minister of Finance clarified that the incentives would be applied through a tax and customs offset mechanism, allowing manufacturers to use earned entitlements to settle dues, thereby streamlining the process. Some component producers called for strengthening the local supply chain—particularly for steel and panel materials used in car bodies—to reduce reliance on imports. In response, Al-Wazir directed that all producers of these materials be invited free of charge to a reverse exhibition to be held alongside the upcoming Industry and Transport Exhibition, which will link automakers with raw material suppliers to spur the growth of Egypt's automotive and electric vehicle sectors. Several vehicle manufacturers raised concerns about the need to ensure fair competition between locally assembled electric vehicles—which face import duties on components—and fully built electric vehicles that enter tariff-free. They also called for a reassessment of customs duties on production inputs. It was confirmed that these matters will be studied by the Ministries of Investment, Foreign Trade, and Finance to support local industry, particularly electric vehicle manufacturers.

Egypt to issue EGP 2.36trn in local debt instruments in Q1 of FY2025/2026
Egypt to issue EGP 2.36trn in local debt instruments in Q1 of FY2025/2026

Daily News Egypt

time5 hours ago

  • Daily News Egypt

Egypt to issue EGP 2.36trn in local debt instruments in Q1 of FY2025/2026

The Egyptian government plans to issue EGP 2.36trn in local debt instruments during the first quarter of fiscal year 2025/2026 to cover maturing obligations and finance the state budget deficit. According to figures released by the Ministry of Finance, the plan includes 56 treasury bill (T-bill) auctions worth EGP 2.05trn and 47 bond auctions totalling EGP 308.5bn between July and the end of September. The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), which conducts the issuances on behalf of the government, will offer T-bills and bonds worth EGP 850.5bn in July, EGP 670bn in August, and EGP 838bn in September. As part of the quarterly plan, the Ministry will issue 91-day T-bills worth EGP 340bn, 182-day bills worth EGP 520bn, 273-day bills worth EGP 525bn, and 364-day bills worth EGP 665bn. On the bond side, scheduled offerings include EGP 77bn in two-year bonds, EGP 169bn in three-year bonds, and EGP 43bn in floating-rate bonds of the same tenor. The Ministry will also issue EGP 10bn in five-year bonds and EGP 9.5bn in floating-rate five-year instruments. Banks operating in the Egyptian market remain the largest investors in government-issued T-bills and bonds, which are a key tool for financing the budget deficit. These debt instruments are issued through 15 banks within the primary dealers system, which also allows them to trade the securities on the secondary market to both local and foreign institutional and individual investors. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly reaffirmed the government's ongoing efforts to reduce public debt, noting that Egypt has achieved primary budget surpluses for five consecutive years, including a 3.5 percent surplus of GDP in the current fiscal year. He said these efforts, along with other fiscal measures, helped bring down the debt-to-GDP ratio from 96 percent in June 2023 to approximately 90 percent in June 2024. The government aims to further reduce this ratio to 86 percent by the end of FY2024/2025. Madbouly emphasised that Egypt is committed to sustaining the downward trajectory of public debt in the years ahead.

Egypt's net international reserves rise to $48.7bn in June 2025
Egypt's net international reserves rise to $48.7bn in June 2025

Daily News Egypt

time5 hours ago

  • Daily News Egypt

Egypt's net international reserves rise to $48.7bn in June 2025

The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) announced that the country's net international reserves increased to $48.7bn in June 2025, up from $48.526bn in May—an uptick of approximately $174m. In a statement issued Monday, the CBE indicated that the foreign currency component of the reserves reached $35.076bn in June, compared to $34.809bn in May. The value of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) remained unchanged at $41m. Gold reserves amounted to $13.586bn in June, slightly down from $13.679bn the previous month. Egypt's foreign exchange reserves consist of a diversified basket of major global currencies, including the US dollar, euro, British pound, Japanese yen, and Chinese yuan. The allocation of each currency depends on prevailing exchange rates and their relative stability in global markets, in accordance with a structured strategy developed by CBE officials. The primary role of the CBE's foreign reserves—which comprise both gold and foreign currencies—is to safeguard the country's ability to import essential goods, meet external debt obligations, and act as a buffer during times of economic uncertainty, particularly when foreign currency inflows from key sectors come under strain. Meanwhile, the Central Bank reported that net foreign assets (NFAs) across the Egyptian banking sector jumped to $14.710bn—or EGP 732.556bn—in May 2025, up from $13.5bn (EGP 687.723bn) in April. This marks a key milestone, as NFAs recorded a surplus for the first time since January 2022, when a surplus of EGP 9.674bn was registered. In contrast, the sector had posted a deficit of EGP 174.4bn in April 2024, while the May 2025 surplus reached EGP 676.4bn. Total foreign assets across the banking system—including both the Central Bank and commercial banks—rose to approximately EGP 4.111trn in May, up from EGP 3.963trn in April. On the liabilities side, total foreign obligations amounted to EGP 3.379trn in May, compared to EGP 3.275trn in April 2025.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store