- USD 1.7 Billion Invested in Zone Factories, Providing 4,300 Jobs
Dr. Mohamed Awad:
- We are developing existing public free zones and accelerating the construction of new zones to meet the growing demand for export-oriented investments.
In implementation of the directives of Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, to continuously develop and expand the free zone framework, Dr. Mohamed Awad, CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI CEO), inspected development and construction works at the Damietta Public Free Zone, as well as the expansion projects of companies operating in the zone.
Dr. Mohamed Awad followed up on efforts to develop and upgrade the zone’s utilities, roads, and green areas, emphasizing the continued development and expansion of the nine existing free zones, in addition to accelerating construction and infrastructure development works at the four new public free zones being established by GAFI in 10th of Ramadan City, New October, New Borg El Arab, and New Alamein. These efforts aim to meet the growing demand for the free zone framework, which provides an attractive environment for export-oriented investments.
Accompanied by Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Dr. Mohamed Awad also conducted an inspection tour of a number of companies operating in the zone, including Pure Life, which manufactures water filters, produces and assembles wastewater treatment plants, and manufactures face masks, personal protective equipment, and related components. The company has a total investment cost of USD 9.7 million and exports 80% of its annual production, which amounts to 2 million filter cartridges and 30 housings for desalination plants.
The tour also included the factory of Turkish company DNM, which specializes in spinning and weaving, textile dyeing, and ready-made garments. The project has a total investment cost of USD 141 million and is located on an area of 150,000 square meters. The factory exports 100% of its ready-made garment production and employs 1,327 workers.
The Damietta Public Free Zone oversees 27 projects—including 22 projects within the public free zone and five projects operating under the private free zone framework—with total investments of USD 1.7 billion, providing approximately 4300 job opportunities. Projects operating in the zone successfully exported goods worth USD 222 million in 2025.
Investments in the zone span a diverse range of activities, including spinning and weaving, ready-made garments, wood industries, container handling, logistics services, and petroleum services. The zone is directly connected to Damietta Port, giving it a significant competitive advantage in terms of goods handling and import and export operations, in addition to its proximity to Port Said Port and the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
