Egypt’s Industry and Investment Ministers Outline Roadmap to Localize Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Engineer Khaled Hashem, Egypt’s Minister of Industry, affirmed the ministry’s readiness to provide full support in linking industrial leaders with researchers to help establish integrated pharmaceutical manufacturing projects. He stressed the importance of leveraging advanced technologies and artificial intelligence applications in drug development research to save time and costs while enhancing innovation efficiency.
The remarks were made during a joint meeting with Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, and representatives of pharmaceutical companies and the Export Council for Medical and Pharmaceutical Industries. The meeting focused on developing a strategy to advance the medical and pharmaceutical industries sector, within the framework of coordinated government efforts to strengthen competitiveness, boost exports, and attract investments.
The Minister of Industry explained that the meeting aimed to formulate an executive roadmap for localizing pharmaceutical production, deepening local content, and integrating scientific research into the production ecosystem. The strategy also includes expanding into new export markets to support sustainable growth. He emphasized that the pharmaceutical industry is a top priority in industrial and export financing plans to meet domestic demand and expand the presence of Egyptian pharmaceutical products abroad.
He added that the ministry is working to enhance the efficiency of existing factories through technical support programs and technological upgrades, while ensuring compliance with international quality standards and external registration requirements to enable Egyptian companies to access new markets confidently and sustainably.
For his part, Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh highlighted that the medical industries sector represents a strategic pillar for increasing exports, particularly in African and emerging markets. He noted that the ministry is activating financing tools and investment incentives aligned with manufacturers’ international expansion plans to enhance the global penetration of Egyptian products.
He further emphasized that deepening local manufacturing and localizing pharmaceutical raw material production are essential to reducing import dependency and strengthening drug security. Attracting new investments in biotechnology and advanced manufacturing, he said, will raise the sector’s added value and improve its regional and global competitiveness.
The meeting also reviewed proposed policies to stimulate sector growth through enhanced investment incentives, expanded production financing, and stronger collaboration between research institutions and industrial entities to accelerate innovation and develop high-quality, globally competitive medical products.
Representatives of the Export Council and pharmaceutical companies welcomed the outcomes, underscoring the importance of sustained public-private partnership to support expansion plans, open new export markets, and address operational and marketing challenges to enhance the competitiveness of Egyptian pharmaceutical products abroad.