Al-Sisi tells ABB CEO: I want Egypt to be energy and industrial hub for Middle East
Pair met this week to discuss Egypt’s energy and export plans
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met this week with the CEO of industrial powerhouse ABB, Dr Ulrich Spiesshofer, in Cairo to discuss the Egyptian president’s vision of placing the country at the centre of the energy and industrial sectors in the Middle East.
The pair were joined by Egypt’s minister of electricity and renewable energy Mohamed Shaker El-Markabi, minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy; Jan Thesleff, ambassador of Sweden to Egypt; and Naji Jreijiri, ABB’s country managing director.
“I was honoured to discuss the president’s bold vision for economic and social development. Energy is a prerequisite for industrialisation and ABB is proud to be a partner of Egypt in electrification and automation. We fully support Egypt’s goal of becoming an energy hub and a center for export-oriented industrial production,” revealed Spiesshofer after the meeting.
In the last decade, ABB has invested more than $200 million to expand and upgrade its Egyptian operation which includes five Egyptian factories. Almost 20% of its production in Egypt is currently exported but the company is the targeting to increase that figure to 25 percent.
“For ABB, Egypt is our hub for the Near East, North and Central Africa. We have been present here since 1926 and are proud to invest and provide job opportunities for Egyptians,” said Spiesshofer.
ABB’s recent projects in Egypt include power stations serving the new Terminal 2 at Cairo airport; the control system for the new Cairo water treatment and filtration plant built by the Construction Authority for Potable Water and Wastewater; a control system for a 280kW wind farm; and the electrification of new national buildings like the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza.
