- July 23, 2025
- Posted by: Ahmed Abed
- Category: EN
A delegation from the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), headed by Mr. Waleid Gamal El-Dien, its Chairman, traveled to the Chinese province of Zhejiang on the third day of its tour in China. The purpose is to promote investment opportunities in targeted sectors, especially the automotive industry, its spare parts, and industries that complement and supply the green energy sector. This is aimed at localizing these industries, deepening local manufacturing, and enhancing Egyptian exports abroad.
The SCZONE delegation began the third day of its tour by heading to the city of Ninghai in Zhejiang province to visit the headquarters of KIBING Group, a global leader in the glass industry. The company is the world’s second-largest manufacturer of flat glass and ranks third globally in the production of glass used for solar panels. It also manufactures glass for medical use.
“KIBING is set to collaborate with SCZONE to establish the largest solar panel glass factory in our Sokhna Integrated Zone. The project is expected to cover a total area of 800,000 mĀ², with an anticipated investment cost of up to $685 million over several phases. It is also set to create about 3,000 direct job opportunities upon completion and operation. The factory plans to export 80% of its production, particularly to European and American markets, while allocating 20% to the domestic market, with the possibility of increasing the domestic share based on demand. The KIBING factory is expected to use local silica sand in its operations, and its products are particularly significant for their contribution to localizing all green energy products. I can also clarify that coordination is underway between SCZONE and all relevant state authorities to secure the company’s energy and infrastructure requirements.” Mr. Waleid Gamal El-Dien stated on the sidelines of the tour
The delegation then traveled to the city of Ningbo in the same province for a field tour of the Lynk & Co factory, one of the plants of the Zhejiang Geely Holding company, which produces cars in partnership with Sweden’s Volvo and China’s Geely. The SCZONE delegation’s tour comes in light of SCZONE’s vision to localize the automotive industry and to learn about modern technology in car manufacturing, as well as to develop a comprehensive understanding of all investment needs for similar projects, such as energy, utilities, space, and labor.
Concluding the third day’s events in Zhejiang Province, the SCZONE delegation participated in a roundtable organized by the Foreign Affairs Office of Ningbo Municipal Government. It was represented by Mr. Ye Kejun, Director General of International Cooperation for Europe and Africa; Mr. Xiao Shuang, Deputy Director General of International Cooperation for Europe and Africa; and Mr. Jiao Shuanglin, Deputy Director General. The roundtable comprised intensive participation from 6 major Chinese auto parts manufacturers: Joyson (for electronics, safety systems, and displays), Minth Group (for structural auto parts like batteries and plastic components, with a presence in the US, Mexico, Japan, and Germany), Tuopu Group (for spare parts), Jifeng Ltd (for automotive parts, producing seats and interior components), Ruitai (for suspension and steering systems), and Wuhan Automotive Industry. The discussion focused on localizing the auto parts industry within SCZONE, given its fundamental role as a production input for the automotive sector. During the roundtable, Mr. Waleid Gamal El-Dien delivered a presentation on SCZONEās key features and competitive advantages. He highlighted its strategic geographical location, the integration between its industrial zones and ports, and the free and international trade agreements it enjoys, which provide investors with full access to various global markets. This is to achieve the Egyptian state’s vision of making Egypt a global hub for the automotive industry, especially for EVs.
