- July 21, 2025
- Posted by: Ahmed Abed
- Category: EN
The General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE) announced today in a press statement the launch of its first promotional tour for the fiscal year 2025-2026. An official delegation, headed by Mr. Waleid Gamal El-Dien, SCZONE Chairman, is undertaking this tour to promote investment opportunities within SCZONE and attract investments in targeted localization sectors, particularly textiles and ready-made garments, automotive and vehicle manufacturing (especially electric vehicles), and ports and logistics services. The first stop on the promotional tour to China was a meeting with major Chinese companies and official institutions in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province.
At the outset of SCZONE’s promotional tour to China, Mr. Waleid Gamal El-Dien and his accompanying delegation met with Mr. Dennis Wong, CEO of Crystal International Group Ltd, and Mr. KC Fong, CFO of Crystal Elegance, one of the group’s companies. The meeting included a presentation of the investment opportunities available within SCZONE to Crystal International Group officials, especially in the Qantara West Industrial Zone, which is considered a stronghold for the textile and ready-made garment industry in Egypt. The meeting discussed providing an area of 1.5 million square meters for the company to establish a factory in Qantara West, with expected investments ranging between $250-300 million and anticipated job creation of 30,000-35,000 workers. The company also seeks to benefit from the integration of ports and industrial zones offered by SCZONE, along with attractive tax and customs investment incentives, and unprecedented access to global markets through SCZONE’s ports on the Mediterranean and Red Seas, as well as the free trade and international agreements it enjoys. The company plans to export its entire production abroad to meet the needs of its international clients, which include major global brands. Crystal International Group has deep expertise in textile and apparel manufacturing spanning over 45 years, with manufacturing facilities in 5 countries worldwide, most notably Vietnam, employing approximately 80,000 workers and with an annual production capacity of around 470 million pieces across all its factories.
Furthermore, the Chairman of SCZONE conducted a tour hosted by the Qianhai Authority at the Shenzhen Qianhai Exhibition Hall to learn about the latest progress in the development projects within the Qianhai Special Economic Zone, which includes industrial, logistical, and port-related activities. This was followed by a conference titled “The Strategic Gateway for Industrial Growth and Global Investment,” organized by the Shenzhen Qianhai International Business e-Station and the Qianhai Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce. The conference was attended by many prominent investors and company owners from Shenzhen and the Qianhai area interested in learning about investment opportunities in SCZONE, in addition to key government officials from the city.
At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Waleid Gamal El-Dien delivered a presentation highlighting SCZONE’s key competitive investment features, including tax and customs incentives, world-class infrastructure, availability of skilled technical labor, and competitively priced energy sources. He emphasized his aspiration to strengthen the successful partnership with Chinese companies, explaining how SCZONE offers a solution for Chinese investors in various industrial and logistical sectors to address current economic challenges. Government officials also delivered official remarks emphasizing the depth of Egyptian-Chinese relations and strategic partnerships, while stressing the need to redouble efforts to deepen cooperation for the economic development of both countries. The conference also showcased opportunities for cooperation with SCZONE industrially and logistically, considering it the optimal investment destination and a leading global logistics hub. Additionally, the conference featured a presentation by a Chinese company operating in Egypt, sharing its successful investment experience in Egypt amidst the continuous efforts made by the Egyptian state to create a conducive investment climate.
The SCZONE delegation also visited the Yantian International Container Terminal (YICT), managed by the global operator Hutchison, which also manages the container terminal at SCZONE’s Sokhna Port. This terminal has a berth length of 1200m and a yard area of 720,000 square meters, with an investment cost of $250 million, and is expected to open soon.
YICT boasts a total berth length of 9.3 km and handles a total of 15 million TEUs annually. Mr. Waleid Gamal El-Dien held a meeting with Hutchison officials to discuss aspects of future cooperation in the ports and logistics sectors to support the integration of global supply chains. The meeting was attended by Mr. Lawrence Shum, Managing Director of Yantian International Container Terminal – Hutchison, and several company leaders. The first day of the SCZONE delegation’s visit to Shenzhen concluded with a visit to the BYD hq to learn about the prominent products of the leading company in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, which also specializes in manufacturing electric car batteries, storage batteries, and solar panels. The tour was followed by a meeting between Mr. Waleid Gamal El-Dien and Mr. Jinfeng Shi, Deputy General Manager of the Corporate Affairs Department at BYD, and a number of company officials. During the meeting, the Chairman of SCZONE discussed the possibility of BYD establishing a presence in SCZONE as a gateway for the company to access African and Middle Eastern markets. He emphasized that the company’s investment within SCZONE would foster the establishment of a colossal industrial base encompassing EV manufacturing, electric vehicle batteries, and solar panels. He highlighted the unparalleled competitive advantage of SCZONE’s strategic location, which serves the shared ambitions of both sides to localize the electric vehicle industry regionally, especially as it is one of the future pillars of industry in light of growing demand and to address the severe impacts of climate change.
