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Historical books show that ancient Egyptians engaged in industrial activities, specially after discovering mining activities. They extracted minerals such as copper, silver and gold. They succeeded in smelting and making minerals.
They were famous for a number of industries such as making machines, agricultural cools, and military equipment. They excelled in making artifacts setting with precious stones. The monuments displayed at museums point to the accuracy of the ancient Egyptian craftsmen and the beauty of their fine artifacts. The most important industries that flourished in ancient Egypt were textiles, dyeing,
paper, cooking oil squeezing and shipbuilding.
Egypt was known for ages as an agricultural country and the governors never paid attention to industry till the beginning of 19th Century. Egypt witnessed a huge industrial revival when Muhammad Ali created a great industrial base including textile,
sugar, cooking oil squeezing, rice mills and the military industries were flourished. A shipyard and factories for preparation of chemical materials were established. The industrial revival declined during the following periods till the end of World War I
Banque Misr founded in 1920 with Egyptian capital led a campaign to revive the Egyptian industry. The bank succeeded in establishing an industrial base that included a chain of great companies and factories which succeeded in establishing an advanced Egyptian industry.
The Egyptians adopted the slogan of “the Egyptian product” for Egyptians which succeeded in protecting the Egyptian products.
The July 1952 Revolution came to complete the march by launching a number of pioneering heavy industry projects such as iron and steel, mining, petroleum, chemical, spinning and weaving and food industries.
The period from 1967 to 1973 negatively affected, the performance of the industrial sector caused by war and revived again after the 1973 October war victory. The open-door economy policy was actively embraced.
On the path of peace, Egypt began a new stage on the way of industrial development. The motto “Made in Egypt” became a national goal and the industrial sector endeavored to develop the Egyptian product. By virtue of the economic reform policy that started in 1990s of the past century, the role of the private sector increased achieving the industrial development. The industrial sector enjoyed a wide variety of privileges and incentives to investors.
At the early beginning of 21st century, Egypt has started a stage of reviving the Egyptian industry specially after associating industry and foreign and interior Trade under one ministry that assumed the achievement of a major move to the Egyptian economy enabling the Egyptian product to compete as well as modernization of the Egyptian industry within an integrated program that participate in increasing the exports to join efficiently in the World economy, in addition to providing the suitable atmosphere to the industry and commercial activities to encourage the private sector assuming the main role to achieve the economic development.
The year 2007 witnessed the launching of the 1000 factories project in the industry sector. The number of the major factories the investments of which hit more than LE 15 million amounted to 283, including new 169 and 114 factories being expanded till the end of November 2007. The total investments of the major factories established till November 2007 hit LE 17, 633,128 billion, providing 76, 527 job opportunities. The distribution of these major factories is as follows: 73 in the food industries sector with LE 3, 438, 2 billion worth investments, providing 14, 50 job opportunities and 72 factories operating in the field of weaving and textiles sector with LE 2, 626 billion worth investments, providing 8, 569 job opportunities.
In addition, there are 56 factories operating in the field of chemical industries with LE 6, 879 billion, providing 9, 939 job opportunities as well as other 15 factories in the field of building materials with LE 1, 44 billion worth investments, providing 8, 965 job opportunities. However, 166 medium-range factories were established with a capital of LE 5 to 15 million with LE 247, 811 worth investments, providing 117, 55 job opportunities till November 2007. These factories include 41 for weaving and textiles industries with LE 337 million worth investments, providing 10, 260 job opportunities and 39 for food industries with LE 269, 144 worth investments, providing 2269 job opportunities. This is besides 32 factories for chemical industries with LE 226, 607 million worth investments, providing 1503 job opportunities and 29 factories in the engineering industries sector with LE 205, 43 million worth investments, providing 1863 job opportunities and other 10 for building materials with LE 71, 83 million investments, providing 888 job opportunities
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