Egypt Geely's first plant in Africa, MENA delivers in February
The Chinese Geely Auto Group, in collaboration with Auto Mobility (Geely Egypt), has inaugurated a new factory located in the 6th of October City industrial zone to produce Geely cars. This is the company's first industrial venture in Egypt, Africa, and the Middle East.
Egypt's Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly attended the inauguration ceremony together with Industry and Transport Minister Kamel al-Wazir; Planning and International Cooperation Minister Rania al-Mashat; and a number of other cabinet ministers, governors, and senior officials.
Present were Ali al-Ghanim, founder of al-Ghanim Sons Automotive Group; and Song Jin, Chairperson of Geely Global Automobile and Vice Chairperson of Geely Auto Holding; also numerous figures from the investment and automotive industry fields.
The PM said that the new factory aligns with Egypt's strategic goal of becoming a regional hub for the automotive industry. The new factory, he said, is part of the National strategy launched in 2022 for localising the automotive industry.
The Geely factory features two production lines for with a total capacity of up to 10,000 vehicles annually. It is expected to meet domestic demand and export some 30,000 vehicles.
Mr Jin announced that the factory will be producing the Emgrand 2025 sedan model and the Coolray 2025 SUV. He said that the first batch of Emgrand and Coolray vehicles will be produced in Egypt based on the BMA (B-segment Modular Architecture) platform developed by Geely.
Both models, Mr Jin said, offer efficient use of space and positive and negative safety designs, ensuring an excellent driving experience for Egyptian consumers. The Coolray model, he said, whose sales exceeded one million units globally, will be assembled locally in Egypt.
Mr Jin explained that the factory is part of Geely's efforts to enhance local production of its vehicles in line with the Egyptian government's strategy to localise the automotive industry. The factory, he asserted, boosts the national economy and creates new job opportunities.
'Our current investments in the automotive sector stand at approximately USD250 million,' he said, stressing that Geely continues to expand its local operations and network in the Egyptian market. He explained that Geely has established over 40 sales and service centres across Egypt in just a few years, offering a wide range of vehicles, from A-class sedans to D-class SUVs.
Mr Jin highlighted that Geely had developed 14 major components locally, with a local content rate exceeding 45 per cent, stressing that the company intends to produce more components locally in future.
Furthermore, Jim explained that this plant is particularly significant for Geely and the Egyptian automotive industry as it is Geely's first CKD (Completely Knocked Down) factory in Africa and the Middle East.
For his part, Fahad Ali al-Ghanim, Chairperson of Auto Mobility, said, 'We have invested up to USD100 million in the manufacturing and assembly of Geely vehicles in Egypt through Auto Mobility.' He noted that recent enhancements in Egypt's business environment have encouraged both Arab and Chinese investors to make new investments and expand current ones.
Auto Mobility declared that the first models produced will be delivered to customers in February 2025.
Geely Auto Group, headquartered in Hangzhou, China, is a prominent automobile manufacturer founded in 1997 as a subsidiary of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.
The group oversees several well-known brands, including Geely Auto, Lynk & Co, Proton Cars, and Geometry.
Watani International
6 February 2025
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