Egypt Moves Toward Establishing First Carbon-Neutral Textile Industrial City in Port Said

In a significant move to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and localize high-value industries, Dr. Mohamed Farid, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, recently met with senior executives from the Chinese industrial developer “Cloud Chain.”

The discussions focused on the implementation of the “Egyptian-Cloud Chain Textile Industrial City” project in Port Said, which is poised to become the first integrated, carbon-neutral textile industrial hub in the Middle East and North Africa.

The delegation, led by CEO Huang Wei and CFO Xian Chun, presented a comprehensive development plan spanning 4.5 million square meters. The project is set to be executed in two phases, each lasting 24 months, embodying a sustainable industrial development model.

Both parties explored Egypt’s investment frameworks, specifically the Special Investment Zones (SIZ) system, to identify the optimal legal and operational structure for the project.

Minister Farid emphasized Egypt’s competitive edge as a regional hub for integrated textile manufacturing, reaffirming the Ministry’s commitment to providing an investment environment capable of accommodating large-scale global industrial city projects.

He has directed his team to facilitate urgent field visits for the Chinese delegation to evaluate local infrastructure and to coordinate closely with the Egyptian Commercial Office in China to finalize technical studies and project assessments.

The project represents a substantial economic undertaking with total investments estimated between $1.5 billion and $2 billion. The first phase, covering 2 million square meters, will establish eco-friendly industrial and service facilities—including vocational schools and logistics hubs—aiming to attract 30 to 50 textile enterprises.

The second phase will expand over the remaining 2.5 million square meters to complete the industrial value chain.

Once fully operational, the project is expected to generate between 50,000 and 80,000 direct jobs, along with an additional 60,000 indirect employment opportunities.

For their part, the “Cloud Chain” leadership underscored Egypt’s strategic importance, viewing the country as a vital gateway for expanding their operations into the markets of Africa and the Middle East, leveraging the nation’s robust industrial potential and strategic geographic location.