In five years, this desert new city has been upgraded again.

In five years, this desert new city has been upgraded again.
Source: Xinhua News Agency

Reporter: Wu Danni/Ahmed Shafik/Li Binian/Yan Jing

Photograph: Wu Hui I

120 kilometers from Cairo, the capital of Egypt, there is a "new desert city". Since the construction began in 2008, the scale of the new city has expanded rapidly, with many factories in the city, roads extending in all directions, hotels, playgrounds and other supporting facilities.

The official name of this new city is "China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone". In January 2016, the second phase of the cooperation zone was unveiled. Five years have passed in a flash, and there is another epidemic. Is the new city okay now? Please see the Xinhua News Agency reporter's field visit.

The gate of the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone photographed in Sukhnai Springs, Egypt, on January 14. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Hui
"The past year has been special"

Advanced single-room disinfection, hand washing and temperature measurement, shoes and hats, reporters encountered the staff of Egypt Yanjiang New Materials Co., Ltd., which settled in the cooperation zone soon ".

"The Chinese are family members, but epidemic prevention cannot be relaxed." Mohamed Khalid, the company's import and export business manager, explained solemnly and sincerely that complying with every epidemic prevention regulation is responsible for the health of employees and the company's production and operation.

Khalid has 15 years of experience in import and export trade and regards China as his second hometown. He said that it is wise for Yanjiang to choose to settle in the cooperation zone, and he chose Yanjiang because he hopes to use his rich industry experience to make this Chinese company better develop in Egypt and even the Middle East and North Africa.

The workshop of Egypt Yanjiang New Materials Co., Ltd., China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, photographed on January 14. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Hui
"The past year has been very special. We should not only focus on epidemic prevention, but also on production." Lin Xiangchun, general manager of the company, was deeply stressed, but was also pleased to see that with the joint efforts of everyone, the operating profit of the company's main business in 2020 increased by 22% compared to 2019.

The "old household" of the cooperation zone, West Electric EGEMAC High Voltage Electric Co., Ltd. also insists on epidemic prevention and production. Zhang Xiaoyu, deputy general manager of the company, told reporters that the production and operation challenges under the epidemic are not small, but the domestic has more mature experience to learn from.

West Electric EGEMAC High Voltage Electric Co., Ltd. was established by China West Electric Group in cooperation with Egypt, and is one of the leading enterprises in the park. Through the introduction of Chinese technology, Egypt has the manufacturing capacity of 500 kV ultra-high voltage transformers, breaking the monopoly of Western countries, and enhancing the competitiveness of Egypt's local electrical equipment.

The workshop of Xidian EGEMAC High Voltage Electric Co., Ltd., China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, photographed on January 14. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Hui
"It was a lot of pressure, but we finished it"

After walking through the spacious and bright warehouse with high shelves in TEDA Royal bonded warehouse, before the reporter could ask, Mahmoud Aslan, manager of the warehouse logistics bonded department of TEDA Special Zone Development Company in Egypt, could not wait to introduce the details of the bonded warehouse.

The TEDA Royal bonded warehouse project covers an area of 130000 square meters and is constructed in two phases. The current phase of construction is completed and has been put into use, marking the official start of operation of the first Chinese-funded bonded warehouse project in Egypt. The project will provide a full range of bonded logistics services such as logistics, customs clearance, freight forwarding, bonded warehouse management, and value-added services for manufacturing enterprises in the cooperation zone and surrounding areas.

Teda Royal Bonded Warehouse, China-Egypt Teda Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, photographed on January 14. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Hui
"To complete this project in 2020, (we) are facing really great pressure and challenges." Aslan's brow frowned, as if to return to the time when telephone and mail were incessant and anxious while working. However, for a moment he smiled again and changed the subject: "But we finished it, and it was done beautifully."

Li Chentao, assistant executive director of Egypt's TEDA Special Zone Development Company, said that the bonded warehouse will achieve deep integration with China's cross-border e-commerce and Egypt's local e-commerce, which will help build an international marketing service platform and better serve the development of trade between China and Egypt.

Commuting depends on public transportation, and the park will be better in the future.

The cooperation zone covers a huge area, and I'm afraid it can't be completed in a day without a car. The reporter can't help but wonder: The number of employed people in the cooperation zone is gradually increasing. How do they move quickly in the park, back and forth between life and work areas?

Ahmed Radwan, CEO of Egypt's TEDA Investment Company, took the reporter to a small, inconspicuous pavilion at the entrance to the park. Look carefully, it was a bus ticket booth.

In 2020, in order to improve the supporting facilities of the park, the cooperation zone will introduce the Go Bus commuter system, which will not only solve the traffic problem of personnel in the zone, but also drive the urbanization process of the cooperation zone.

The Go Bus sign in the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone taken on January 14. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Hui
"Go Bus chose the TEDA cooperation zone because it is already a community with a large number of people." Radwan said.

In addition to employees, the future of tourists in the park will also increase the demand for transportation. According to reports, the cooperation zone has launched the "night tour economy" project to upgrade the park environment as a whole. At present, the commissioning of the first phase of lighting art lighting project has been completed. The next step will be to plan a nightlife gathering area with both humanistic feelings and fashion sense according to the needs of tourism appreciation.

The gate of the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone Service Center photographed in Sukhnai Springs, Egypt on January 14. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Hui
After years of construction, the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone has become a veritable "economic engine in the desert". By the end of 2020, the cooperation zone had attracted 96 enterprises, with actual investment exceeding US $1.25 billion, cumulative sales exceeding US $2.5 billion, and tax payment of nearly US $0.176 billion, directly solving the employment of about 4000 people and industry driving employment of more than 36000 people.