Egypt is going full throttle with the construction of a textiles factory in El-Mahalla, slated to become the World’s largest industry. The factory, which would be inaugurated in March 2022, spans over 62,000 sq m and will have a daily production capacity of 30 tonnes, news reports said. The plans for the factory were announced in September 2019.
Mostafa Madbouli, Prime Minister of Egypt, held a meeting last week with ministers of trade and public enterprise. Madbouli, on occasion, called for granting farmers incentives to grow high-quality cotton to the extent that it would fulfill the needs of local factories. El Mahalla El Kubra, commonly known as El-Mahalla, is the largest city in the Gharbia governorate and the Nile Delta.
Egypt’s textile sector consists of 3,243 companies with a total investment of 3.2 billion USD. Textile industries of Egypt produce 315 million apparel and export 305,000 tons of cloth and apparel annually. US constitutes 80% of the country’s export market, followed by EU and Arabian countries comprising the remaining 20%.
Egypt is also planning a textiles city in the Free Zones System in Minya governorate. It will be built over 306 feddans, and a company will be established to manage the city, and all parties would have equal shares in it. Feddan is an Egyptian unit of area equal to 1.038 acres. The project will provide around 17,000 direct jobs, in addition to indirect job opportunities, and target exports to overseas markets.
Known as the “white gold” for its unique characteristics, Egyptian cotton kept the position of the finest natural fibers in the World for its unmatched strength, a soft weave with maximum versatility, natural luster, emitting an extraordinary pearly and gleaming light. Egypt produces about 150,000 hectares of cotton fiber yearly, while cotton yarn exports equal 400 M$ mainly to Turkey and EU markets.
With such a big industry, Egyptian cotton utilization within the country will increase, which is more profitable than exporting raw cotton.
