Khaled Hashem, Minister of Industry, met with El Tawkol Electrical–Gila to discuss the company’s ongoing projects and future plans to localise modern lighting technologies, while expanding cooperation in energy efficiency and new and renewable energy.

The meeting reviewed progress on a project to establish Egypt’s first manufacturing facility developed through a partnership between global lighting company Signify and Gila. 

The factory will produce smart and ultra-efficient lighting systems and fixtures, with planned investments of $30 million over the next three years.

The project is expected to launch with a local component of 40%, with plans to raise this to 80% in the future. 

It also aims to export 60% of its production to African and European markets and create around 1,000 direct and indirect jobs. The factory is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of this year.

The minister said the ministry is committed to supporting serious industrial projects that help transfer and localise advanced technologies, deepen domestic manufacturing and increase the added value of Egyptian-made products.

He added that greater reliance on renewable energy in the industrial sector has become an economic necessity, helping improve competitiveness, lower production costs, optimise energy use and align with global shifts toward green growth and sustainable development.

Hashem also stressed the importance of increasing local content across the company’s product range to reduce reliance on imports, strengthen domestic supply chains and enhance the competitiveness of Egyptian industry.

He highlighted the ministry’s “Sun of Industry” initiative, which aims in its first phase to install rooftop solar power stations with a total target capacity of 1,000 megawatts across around 7,000 factories nationwide.

The initiative is intended to serve as the starting point for a broader rollout of solar-energy solutions in the industrial sector, helping factories reduce operating costs, expand their use of clean energy and improve their competitiveness.

The minister further stressed that domestic manufacturing must be matched by compliance with international quality standards, directing the company to strengthen cooperation with the Egyptian General Organization for Standardization and Quality to improve product quality and expand access to regional and international markets.