Cairo: Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly witnessed the signing of a EGP 1.4 billion agreement between the Egyptian Company for Medical Investments (ECMI), Interpharm for Import, Export, and Medical Industries, and Japan's JMS to establish a factory in Ain Sokhna's Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) for the local production of blood bags and pouches. PM Madbouly affirmed that the project, fully backed by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, is a cornerstone of the national strategy to transfer advanced technology and localize strategic industries, particularly in the medical and pharmaceutical sectors, a statement from the Egyptian cabinet read.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the project aims to meet domestic demand while expanding into export markets in neighbouring countries, capitalizing on Egypt's capacity to drive industrial growth and build an integrated medical manufacturing hub. The Unified Procurement Authority (UPA) stated that the factory aims to meet 100 percent of Egypt's annual demand for blood bags while boosting exports to Middle Eastern and North African markets.

The facility is expected to produce seven million blood pouches annually by its seventh year-three million for local consumption and four million for export. This would also contribute to Egypt's medical exports and enhance foreign currency revenues. Moreover, Madbouly emphasized that the factory's location in Ain Sokhna was strategically chosen to benefit from government incentives and the logistical advantages offered by the SCZone, making it a competitive hub for regional and global distribution.

The project reflects Egypt's commitment to achieving medical self-sufficiency, strengthening public-private partnerships, and attracting direct foreign investment in the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, according to the statement. It also comes amid growing local and international demand for high-quality blood products used in surgeries, accidents, leukaemia, kidney diseases, and organ transplants, among others.

Senior Egyptian officials attended the signing ceremony. The agreement was signed by Osama Abdel Baset, chairman of the Egyptian Company for Medical Investments; Ahmed Sami, chairman and CEO of Interpharm Egypt for Import, Export, and Medical Industries; and Masafumi Sato, executive director of JMS Japan.