Hatem El-Nawawy: Food Industries Achieve Record Growth, New Markets a Top Priority
Egypt’s Export Development Fund and the General Authority for Export Development held a meeting with the Food Export Council to discuss the performance of Egypt’s food industries sector and explore mechanisms to increase exports, expand into international markets, and capture promising opportunities, particularly in European and African markets.
The meeting was chaired by Hatem El-Nawawy, CEO of the Export Development Fund and the General Authority for Export Development, and attended by the Board of Directors of the Food Export Council, headed by Mahmoud Bazan, along with Mai Khairy, Executive Director of the council.
El-Nawawy said the Export Development Fund continues to coordinate closely with export councils as key partners in implementing Egypt’s export growth targets. He emphasized that the current phase requires a stronger focus on opening new export markets, diversifying destinations, and increasing the global presence of Egyptian products.
He added that the fund is working to support exporting companies by strengthening their competitiveness, encouraging product development, increasing export value added, and ensuring compliance with international standards and specifications. These factors are essential for improving access to foreign markets amid ongoing shifts in global trade.
El-Nawawy also highlighted the importance of maximizing the benefits of Egypt’s trade agreements and transforming preferential advantages into real export opportunities. He stressed the need to support small and medium-sized enterprises in joining the export ecosystem, thereby expanding Egypt’s export base and supporting sustainable export growth.
The meeting addressed several priority areas, including expansion in high-growth markets, increasing value-added exports, improving companies’ readiness to meet technical and environmental requirements in target markets, and strengthening the use of regional and international trade agreements.
The discussions reviewed the performance of Egypt’s food industries sector, whose exports reached around $6.8 billion in 2025, achieving 12% growth and an increase of $711 million compared to 2024. This marked the highest export value ever recorded by the sector.
Arab countries accounted for 51% of total food exports, followed by the European Union with 19%, the rest of the world with 16%, non-Arab African countries with 8%, and the American markets with 6%.
Food Export Council officials also presented the council’s efforts to enhance the competitiveness of Egyptian companies. These included 96 training programs, totaling 158 training days, benefiting 1,011 trainees, in addition to 50 virtual seminars with 3,280 participants, and 12 interactive workshops.
The council also implemented field visits to the ports of Suez and Alexandria and cooperated with 20 specialized service providers to support exporters.
On the international promotion side, the council participated in 11 international exhibitions with 431 companies, organized three trade missions to South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria with 55 companies, and hosted 250 international importers on the sidelines of Food Africa.
The meeting reflects a broader shift in Egypt’s food export development strategy, focusing not only on increasing production but also on improving company readiness, meeting technical and environmental standards, developing higher-value products, and building direct commercial links with international buyers.
