The government and private sector are increasingly focusing on accreditation as a key tool to enter local markets and expand abroad. The push comes amid a government initiative to boost the competitiveness of the country’s industrial sector and exports, with the aim of pushing total exports to USD 130 bn by the fiscal year 2026-27.

The Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality (EOS) is at the core of drafting and developing standard specifications, conformity assessment, and accreditation, EOS President and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Chairman Khaled Soufi told EnterpriseAM. The authority is aiming to achieve international standards to ensure the quality and safety of products and services, he said, adding that they are also working to align Egyptian specifications with global standards to support export expansion plans.

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Why does this matter? Complying with international specifications and standards not only improves the quality of goods, but also improves consumer confidence and the local industry. “Meeting these standards encourages industrial investment and supports sustainability,” Federation of Egyptian Industries’ Specifications and Quality Committee head Kamal El Dessouky told EnterpriseAM.

By the numbers: Egypt has issued more than 9k standards meeting ISO international criteria, which make it easy for manufacturers to export abroad, Soufi said. He added that the authority also offers conformity certification and quality mark services to support manufacturers.

Top sectors requesting certifications: Engineering and food products have seen increased demand for conformity certificates over the past two years, driven by a surge in new factories by foreign companies entering the Egyptian market, mainly in appliances like air conditioners, washing machines, and TVs, according to Soufi.

Sustainability is driving demand: There is growing demand for energy efficiency, water-saving, and environmental certifications, as more international companies enter the market. Soufi told EnterpriseAM that EOS is working with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to launch a specialized online platform for high-efficiency electric motors.

Quality is a competitive edge: Quality is the leading factor in gaining customer trust locally and abroad, General Manager of Almarai Jordan and former CEO of dairy company Beyti Mark Wyllie previously told EnterpriseAM, adding that consumers typically stick with good quality products, rather than cheaper ones. Mars Egypt’s Factory Manager Osama Helal added that the company’s commitment to quality standards has supported its plans to export to various markets.

Standards are also essential when localizing technology: International standards transfer technical and scientific knowledge without the need to purchase expensive licenses, Unitel Chairman Amir Wassef said, stressing that alignment with global standards is a key pillar for technology localization.

But challenges remain: Despite progress, less than 30% of companies in the Federation of Egyptian Industries have received certification, a federation official told EnterpriseAM. Failure to comply with standards limits companies’ ability to expand internationally and weakens the domestic economic system, Wassef added. The cost of obtaining certificates is also a challenge, according to industry stakeholders, who pointed out to EnterpriseAM that fees remain high relative to small business incomes. However, Soufi said that certification fees are extremely low compared to global markets, starting at just EGP 1k versus over USD 1k elsewhere.

An accreditation push would be a boost for SMEs’ export ambitions : Although local manufacturers “present in the local market and are of very high quality, they lack international accreditation to be recognized in export markets,” Engineering Industries Export Council Chairman Sherif El Sayad. Accrediting more Egyptian producers of goods would particularly open the door for small and medium-sized enterprises, he added.

Digitization could help close the gap: EOS is going fully digital for all of its services by the end of 1H this year, Soufi said, adding that manufacturers will soon be able to obtain conformity certificates online, with several services already available digitally.

A unified system for specifications and quality control is another way to attract industrial investments: The engineering industries sector has received massive foreign direct investments over the past two years, aiming to take advantage of the Egyptian market’s commercial advantages and its ability to access export markets, El Sayad told EnterpriseAM.

Your top industrial development stories for the week:

• China’s Wu’an Xin Feng has kicked off construction on its planned USD 1.7 bn integrated industrial complex in Ain Sokhna’s Industrial Zone. The two-phase complex being built by the company’s Egyptian arm Xin Feng Egypt Steel will be completed over a five-year period and create 8k direct jobs. (Statement)
• Qalaa Holdings’ United Foundries Company is planning to invest up to USD 10mn in a new foundry in Helwan, Managing Director Waseem Abdullah said. The new facility will focus on producing castings for the gold mining and cement industries, adding some 40k tons to the company’s production capacity and bringing total output to around 70k tons annually. (Hapi Journal)
• Dairy and juice giant Beyti is planning to invest over EGP 7 bn in the next three to five years to boost production capacity, General Manager Chris Abboud said. The subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Almarai will allocate EGP 1.5 of that amount this year and is targeting a 20-25% increase in sales over the next three years. (Asharq Business)