- July 25, 2025
- Posted by: Ahmed Abed
- Category: EN
Mr. Waleid Gamal El-Dien, Chairman of the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), concluded his promotional tour to the People’s Republic of China with a visit to Tianjin Province. The visit included several high-level meetings with senior officials from Binhai New Area, TEDA Investment Holding, Tianjin Port, and the Free Trade Zone. The delegation also conducted a field tour of Tianjin Port to learn about the port’s management and operational practices.
The delegation participated in a high-level meeting that brought together leaders of economic development authorities in Tianjin. The meeting was attended by Mr. Shan Zefeng, Deputy Secretary of CPC Binhai New Area Committee, Governor of Binhai New Area Government, and Mr. Qu Defu, Chairman of TEDA Investment Holding Co., Ltd.
The meeting included a review of the existing cooperation and a discussion of future plans to enhance Chinese investments within SCZONE. The discussions focused on three key areas. First, the possibility of allocating a new 10 square kilometer area to the TEDA Group for development within SCZONE, following the near completion of its development of the previous three phases, the latest of which covered 2.8 square kilometers.
The second area addressed potential cooperation in the ports sector, where officials from Tianjin Port expressed strong interest in learning more about the capabilities of the SCZONE ports, particularly East Port Said Port, after its recent upgrades. It was proposed that a technical delegation visit East Port Said and Sokhna ports in the near future to explore avenues of cooperation.
The third area involved a proposal by Mr. Walid Gamal El-Din for a Chinese bank to acquire an existing bank operating in the Egyptian market, to provide dedicated banking services to Chinese investors operating within TEDA or other industrial zones in Egypt. This would facilitate transactions and support investment activities within SCZONE.
“We appreciate the close economic relations between Egypt and China. Tianjin is a global model for economic zone development. SCZONE also commits to leveraging this cooperation in both industrial zones and ports. SCZONE is an integrated industrial and logistics platform strategically located along one of the world’s most important maritime corridors. It is an attractive destination for Chinese investment due to its strategic location, advanced infrastructure, and flexible investment procedures. TEDA’s expansion is a testament to the success of the Egyptian-Chinese partnership within the SCZONE and underlines the shared ambition to double the number of Chinese companies operating in SCZONE, particularly in priority industrial sectors.” Mr. Waleid Gamal El-Dien, Chairman of SCZONE, declared.
Following the meeting, the delegation conducted a field visit to Tianjin Port, one of the largest and most strategic ports in China and globally, located in the Binhai New Area in Tianjin, near the capital Beijing. The port serves 14 provinces, cities, and autonomous regions and acts as a hub connecting Northeast Asia with Central and Western Asia. It handles more than 20 million TEUs and approximately 450 million tons of cargo annually and is ranked among the world’s top ten ports in terms of productivity and efficiency. The visit included an overview of the port’s integrated operating systems and the technologies used in managing maritime navigation and supply chains.
It is worth noting that during this promotional tour in China, SCZONE engaged in several key activities, including the signing of six new industrial project contracts in the textiles and garment sector in the cities of Nanjing and Hangzhou. These projects represent total investments of $118.1 million (equivalent to approximately EGP 5.78 billion) and are entirely self-financed by Chinese developers. These projects are expected to create over 9,500 direct job opportunities within SCZONE-affiliated areas and direct 90% of their output toward export markets. The tour also included visits to major industrial conglomerates specializing in automotive manufacturing, polyester fiber production, and other strategic sectors. Meetings were held with executives from top Chinese companies, alongside a series of investment seminars across various provinces visited during the tour. These efforts fall within the SCZONE’s broader strategy to attract foreign direct investment in diverse industries, new and renewable energy, marine services, and logistics, while fostering industrial integration.
