Newly appointed Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Hassan El Khatib, conducted a comprehensive inspection tour of the Alexandria Free Zone on Sunday, focusing on the sustainable expansions undertaken by several companies.

The visit highlighted Egypt's commitment to fostering environmentally friendly industrial practices and enhancing export-oriented investments.

During his visit, El Khatib emphasized the ministry's strategic initiatives aimed at facilitating a transition to clean energy and providing special incentives for companies engaged in eco-friendly activities, including launching initiatives to utilize solar power.

The Alexandria Free Zone hosts 417 projects, making it Egypt's largest and most export-orientated free zone for export activities.

The investment minister toured Lord International's factories, which implemented cutting-edge technologies supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to ensure the complete recycling of water and minerals used in production processes, and its recent transition from ammonia to hydrogen in manufacturing blades and shaving machines.

Lord International generates a significant portion of its energy from solar sources, according to the statement, and is set to launch the world's first fully recyclable shaver in late 2024, marking a significant milestone in sustainable product innovation.

El Khatib also inspected the operations of Alex Apparels, one of the country’s exporters of ready-to-wear garments to the United States.

The company has expanded its production facilities significantly in recent years, now covering a total area of 120,000 square meters.

Alex Apparels adheres strictly to green building standards and energy-efficient practices, ensuring sustainability across its operations, with future plans including the establishment of new ready-to-wear factories in Alexandria, scheduled to commence operations in 2025.

The company is investing $100 million in a new textile and dyeing plant with a production capacity of 70 tons per day, slated to enter the market in early 2026.

While touring the facilities of Nile Linen Group, a representative explained to the minister that Nile Linen Group has embraced modern technologies and robotic production lines to double production efficiency while maintaining stringent quality standards.

El Khatib also the Egyptian German Porcelain Company’s factory in the free zone, which recently invested EGP 500 million in building new ovens utilizing modern technologies and robotics, allowing it to expand the company's production capacity significantly and reinforcing its position as the largest porcelain producer in the Middle East.