High-level visit to Egypt’s industrial zones highlights UNIDO-Swiss-Egyptian initiative for sustainable industry

A high-level visit to the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE) on Monday marks a major step forward towards promoting sustainable industry in Egypt.

The delegation featured representatives from the Egyptian government, including Ministerial advisor Amr Hazaa, the SCZONE’s Chairman Walied Galmaleldeen, alongside the Swiss embassy (Ambassador Yvonne Baumann), and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Monica Rubiolo).

This visit, organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in collaboration with Switzerland and Egypt’s Ministry of Trade and Industry, highlights the importance of Eco-industrial Parks (EIP) towards achieving both environmental and economic goals.

It also showcases the concrete results of the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Program (GEIPP) in Egypt and displays the country’s commitment to sustainable and inclusive economic development.

The benefits of Eco-industrial Parks

A visit by Ambassador Baumann and Rubiolo, joined by UNIDO and private sector representatives, highlighted the economic, environmental, and social benefits that EIPs hold for Egypt.

The visit further showcased successful initiatives from the GEIPP Egypt project and aimed to encourage wider adoption of the EIP approach in Egypt.

“Supporting partner countries to increase competitiveness and productive capacity of their industry is a major pillar of the Swiss economic cooperation”, said Rubiolo.

“We are proud to support the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Program, which in principle is implemented in seven countries, including Egypt.”

“The visit of Ambassador Baumann and Ms. Monica Rubiolo to the Suez Canal Economic Zone represents a significant opportunity to highlight the positive impact of our collaborative efforts,” remarked the Regional Office Hub Representative at UNIDO Patrick Jean Gilabert.

“Through showcasing successful initiatives and engaging with local stakeholders, we aim to reinforce our commitment to sustainable industrial development in Egypt.”

The visit featured keynotes, presentations by GEIPP Egypt, the SCZONE, and Orascom Industrial Park and tours showcasing the project’s successful implementation.

GEIPP Egypt

A Swiss government program partnered with the UNIDO and Egypt’s Ministry of Trade and Industry to launch GEIPP Egypt. This three-year, €1.6 million project running from 2022 to 2024 aims to showcase the advantages of EIPs for Egyptian businesses.

The GEIPP Egypt project focuses on three industrial parks: the Orascom, Robbiki Leather Cluster, and Polaris Parks.

By promoting resource efficiency and improved environmental, economic, and social performance, the project aims to act as a catalyst for sustainable industrial growth in Egypt.

Additional collaborators include the SCZONE, the Industrial Development Authority (IDA), and the General Authority for Investments and Free Zones (GAFI).

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