Minister of Industry Khaled Hashem held talks on Friday, July 24, 2026, with Head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt Angelina Eichhorst on ways to strengthen Egypt-EU cooperation in key industrial sectors of mutual interest, including supporting small and medium-sized industrial enterprises, localizing the automotive industry, developing vocational education, and advancing the transition toward green industry.
The discussions focused on enhancing the economic and strategic partnership between Egypt and the European Union. During the meeting, attended by senior ministry officials, Hashem said the EU is Egypt’s main economic and trade partner, stressing the need to translate the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides into tangible industrial projects and deepen integration across value chains to attract further European investments to Egypt.
The minister highlighted the importance of small and medium-sized industrial projects within the framework of the ministry’s updated industrial strategy, describing them as a key foundation for the growth of major industries. He noted that the ministry is working to connect these enterprises with local and global supply chains, while supporting feeder industries, expanding domestic manufacturing, and boosting the competitiveness of Egyptian industry.
Hashem announced that a new package of industrial land allocation mechanisms would soon be introduced, including a simplified system for small projects, in addition to offering ready-to-operate industrial units in industrial complexes. He added that the ministry is also developing new financing tools for feeder industries and launching investment funds to support industrial projects with citizen participation.
The minister said the ministry is developing a world-class vocational education program aimed at improving the quality of technical education graduates and equipping them with the skills needed to compete in domestic and international labor markets. The program will focus on enhancing technical, language, and digital capabilities, expanding practical training in factories, and strengthening links between graduates and companies.
He expressed hope that the EU would support the accreditation of the program by leading European and international educational institutions. On the automotive sector, Hashem called on European companies to accelerate investment decisions in Egypt and benefit from incentives provided under the National Automotive Industry Development Program, stressing that early investors would have greater opportunities to benefit from the program’s incentives.
He also reviewed the "Productive Villages" program, implemented by the ministry in cooperation with several government entities, which aims to create employment opportunities in rural areas, integrate villages into industrial supply chains, reduce internal migration, and promote local economic development.