In its inaugural participation at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE) highlighted its infrastructure development model as a replicable success story for Africa.
Waleid Gamal El-Dien, Chairman of SCZONE, served as a keynote speaker in a high-level panel discussion hosted by the OECD in collaboration with the African Union, focusing on infrastructure and productive transformation.
The session, moderated by Setsuko Saya, Deputy Director of the OECD Development Centre, featured prominent speakers from international institutions including the JICA, Southbridge Investments, and Shimizu Corporation.
During his speech, Gamal El-Dien presented SCZONE as a tangible example of how comprehensive infrastructure investment can reduce business risks, attract foreign direct investment, and support supply chain integration. He noted that Egypt has injected significant public funds into infrastructure projects across SCZONE since its establishment a decade ago, creating a globally competitive environment tailored to the needs of industrial, logistical, and service sectors.
“The infrastructure readiness across our economic zone—from energy and water facilities to digital communication networks and internal roads—has proven to be a decisive factor in drawing international investors,” Gamal El-Dien stated.
He emphasized SCZONE's strategic positioning and access to international markets via six ports on the Mediterranean and Red Sea, which are currently undergoing expansion and modernization. These include the construction of multi-purpose terminals, cold storage facilities, and grain silos, in partnership with world-class port operators and shipping lines.
On the sidelines of the conference, SCZONE held a roundtable with eight Japanese firms exploring investment opportunities in Egypt. The companies represented a range of sectors from infrastructure and heavy machinery to logistics and consulting, including: Nippon Signal (rail signaling systems), JOIN (infrastructure investment fund), Deloitte Tohmatsu, Compasspoint, PADECO, Qunie Corp, and Sakai Heavy Industries, as well as Taitan Capital.
Gamal El-Dien showcased investment opportunities within SCZONE’s 21 priority sectors, such as green fuel, automotive, pharmaceuticals, metals, data centers, and associated industries. He also outlined SCZONE’s competitive advantages: availability of skilled labor, diversified energy sources, integrated logistics, and a fully digitalized one-stop-shop for investor services.
In alignment with the upcoming OECD Africa Development Dynamics 2025 Report, which focuses on infrastructure and economic transformation, Gamal El-Dien asserted that the SCZONE model could serve as a replicable framework across the African continent.
“Our experience demonstrates how infrastructure readiness and strategic planning can fast-track industrial growth, ensure market access, and support sustainable development goals across Africa,” he concluded.
TICAD 9 marks a significant step for SCZONE in strengthening international partnerships, particularly with Japan, and positioning itself as a key industrial and logistics hub not just for Egypt, but for the broader African region.
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