Arab Finance: Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Farid Saleh and Minister of Industry Khaled Hashem held an expanded meeting with executives from the French multinational company Air Liquide to explore opportunities to scale up the company’s investments in the Egyptian market, particularly in the industrial gases sector, as per a statement.
During the discussions, the officials reviewed Air Liquide’s footprint in Egypt, where it has been operating since 2002. The company currently runs around 15 production sites and serves more than 800 clients across diverse industrial sectors.
Its investments in the country have exceeded €100 million in recent years, alongside plans to expand infrastructure, including pipeline networks and smart industrial systems to support growth across multiple regions.
Farid emphasized the government’s focus on strengthening partnerships with international companies to support the Egyptian economy, particularly in high-value-added industrial sectors.
He noted that ongoing efforts to improve the business environment and streamline procedures aim to enhance investor confidence, supported by Egypt’s advanced infrastructure and strategic geographic location.
He added that expanding industrial gas projects plays a key role in supporting downstream and manufacturing industries, highlighting the state’s push to adopt modern technologies, particularly in clean energy applications and emissions reduction, in line with Egypt’s transition toward a green economy.
Farid also underscored the importance of transferring advanced technological expertise and localizing production, noting that the government is committed to supporting serious investors and facilitating new projects that contribute to job creation and economic development.
For his part, Hashem stressed the Ministry of Industry’s interest in localizing industrial gas production technologies, given their role as a key input in strategic sectors such as steel, glass, medical, food, and chemical industries.
He also called on the company to explore the localization of gas cooling units, particularly those used in natural gas operations, as a way to reduce import costs and increase local value addition.
