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El-Sisi reviews key AOI projects in civilian and defence industries

El-Sisi reviews key AOI projects in civilian and defence industries

Al-Ahram Weekly3 days ago
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Monday followed up on the progress of implementing key activities and projects at factories and companies affiliated with the Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) in the fields of civil and defence industries.
In a meeting with the Chairman of the Board of AOI Major General Mokhtar Abdel-Latif, El-Sisi was briefed on AOI's strategic framework focusing on enhancing local manufacturing, localizing modern technology, and partnering with leading local, Arab, and global companies to transfer expertise and develop national industries, thereby strengthening Egypt's position as a leading regional industrial power.
Presidential spokesperson Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy stated that this strategy is pursued through several principal axes, including modernizing production lines in line with the Fourth Industrial Revolution to enhance manufacturing and technological capacities.
It also includes qualifying and training human resources to keep pace with rapid technological changes, ensuring high standards of quality and efficiency, and supporting technical research in collaboration with research institutions.
The strategy also focuses on deepening military industries manufacturing to meet the demands of the armed forces and export markets. It introduces new industries to cater to the needs and demands of both local and foreign markets.
The official spokesperson noted that the meeting reviewed the developments in the civil industries undertaken by the organization, including transportation means, electronics, manufacturing of telecommunications towers and high-voltage electricity towers, design and manufacture of water pumps and sewage systems, water and sewage treatment plants, manufacturing of pipes for water, sewage, and natural gas, clean energy, wood industries, and medical industries.
In this context, Abdel Latif mentioned that starting this year, in cooperation with the global Stellantis Group, production of the Citroën C4X car has begun on the production lines of the Arab American Vehicles (AAV) company, targeting an annual production rate of 7,000 vehicles and a total of 28,000 cars over four years.
He added that the organization has also begun production of the new Jeep Cherokee, starting in September 2024, at an annual rate of 1,500 cars, and the Toyota Fortuner 4x4, at an annual rate of 1,200 vehicles.
He explained that the organization is working on expanding local manufacturing of transportation means and, in the field of electronics, aims to add new production lines for laptops, tablets, mobile phones, prepaid electricity meters, and routers.
The spokesperson also said that the Chairman reviewed the organization's efforts in the field of clean energy, particularly in producing solar panels using the latest technologies, including a project to establish a solar power plant connected to the government grid in Uganda, as part of the Egyptian initiative for Nile Basin countries.
The Chairman also reviewed the most important new civil projects the organization is implementing, as well as the development of e-marketing tools and mechanisms within the organization in cooperation with specialized entities to promote products and services and expand the customer base through innovative digital platforms that align with market trends locally, regionally, and the requirements of digital transformation.
He also reviewed the efforts made by the organization to qualify human resources through the Arab Institute for Advanced Technology, the AOI Academy for Engineering Training, the Helwan Academy for Technical Education, the Technical Secondary School for Dual Education and Training, and the Welding Academy in Helwan in cooperation with the International Institute of Welding in Italy.
The spokesperson added that the President commended the organization's efforts in various fields.
El-Sisi stressed the need to continue its endeavours aimed at increasing production and reducing prices to achieve competitiveness, deepen local manufacturing, localise advanced technology, and develop local supply chains to ensure the production of components with global quality and reduce reliance on imports, especially in vital sectors.
The President also emphasized the importance of continuing ongoing coordination and fruitful, constructive integration between ministries, the private sector, and various Egyptian industrial bodies to achieve industrial harmony and optimize the exploitation of national manufacturing capabilities.
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