Ten Years to Peak: How Hot Is China-Egypt Economic and Trade Cooperation Along the “Hot Springs”?

Source: Xinhua News Agency

Reporters: Xu Haofu, Yao Bing, Li Kun

In Suez, a city on the shores of the Red Sea in Egypt, factories stand tall within the China-Egypt Teda Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone (Teda Cooperation Zone), while trucks laden with containers shuttle back and forth. Suez, which means “hot springs” in Arabic, today sees China-Egypt economic and trade cooperation bubbling like a gushing spring—steaming with vitality and promise.

This is the gate of the China-Egypt Teda Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, photographed on January 19 at the Sukhna Spring in Egypt. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xin Mengchen.

Wena, Managing Director of the Egypt Teda Zone Development Company, has been working in the cooperation zone for many years. Speaking to reporters, she said that since the unveiling ceremony on January 21, 2016, the expansion phase of the Teda Cooperation Zone has steadily progressed over the past decade. “In 2024, the zone hosted more than 300 domestic and international business delegations. By 2025, that number had risen to over 500, including numerous delegations from Arab countries, Russia, Uzbekistan, and other regions.”

On January 19, Wei Na, Managing Director of the Egypt Teda Development Zone Company, was interviewed at the Sukhna Spring in Egypt. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xin Mengchen.

Weina said, “This reflects the positive attitude of foreign companies and is of great significance for China-Egypt cooperation.”

This is the building of the China-Egypt Teda Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone Investment Service Center, photographed on January 19 at the Souhna Spring in Egypt. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xin Mengchen.

As a key project under the joint Belt and Road Initiative between China and Egypt, by the end of 2025, the TEDA Cooperation Zone has attracted nearly 200 enterprises, with actual foreign investment exceeding 3.8 billion U.S. dollars and directly creating approximately 10,000 local jobs.

On January 19, Ahmed Bakhy, Manager of the Construction Department at the Egyptian Tedaat District Development Company, was interviewed at the Sukhna Spring in Egypt. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xin Mengchen.

“When I first arrived, this place was still a desolate wasteland— even buying a bottle of water was a real challenge. But now, things are completely different. My kids often want to come ‘to work’ with me, because there’s a fantastic amusement park right here in the industrial zone,” Ahmed Bakhy, a 42-year-old construction manager at the Tedaat District Development Company in Egypt, told reporters.

Currently, the TEDA Cooperation Zone has developed leading industrial clusters covering bonded logistics, new building materials, petroleum equipment, high- and low-voltage equipment, mechanical manufacturing, textiles, chemicals, new energy, and white goods.

In the dishwasher production workshop of Midea Egypt Kitchen & Water Heater Co., Ltd., located within the industrial park, Egyptian employees are skillfully assembling dishwashers. Yang Yang, Director of Operations and Human Resources at the company, told reporters that this is Egypt’s first smart dishwasher production line. Since achieving mass production in 2023, the company’s annual output has now reached 350,000 units, and it has already met its target of exporting 80% of its products. “Today, the TEDA Cooperation Zone has become an important platform for economic and trade cooperation between Egypt and China.”

On January 19, at the Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone between China and Egypt in Sohag, Egypt, Egyptian employees assembled dishwashers in the production workshop of American Egypt Kitchen & Water Heater Co., Ltd. Xinhua News Agency reporter Xin Mengchen photographed this scene.

The Teda Cooperation Zone has attracted a large number of world-class enterprises: Jushi Egypt Fiberglass Co., Ltd. has helped Egypt become a global leader in fiberglass production; while Xidian-EGEMAC High-Voltage Electrical Equipment Co., Ltd. has achieved localized manufacturing of high-voltage electrical equipment. These enterprises have filled technological gaps in Egypt’s relevant sectors, and their products are now being sold in global markets, thereby strengthening Egypt’s capacity to generate foreign exchange through exports.

Nahla Emad, CEO of the Egyptian Teda Development Zone Company, frankly admitted that the introduction of the Chinese industrial park model, the strong support from the Egyptian government, and the continuous communication and mutual respect between the two sides in practice have jointly fostered a corporate culture centered on cooperation.

On January 19, Nahla Emad, CEO of the Egyptian Tedaat District Development Company, was interviewed at the Sukhna Spring in Egypt. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xin Mengchen.

“From the initial two or three enterprises to today’s industrial cluster, I feel deeply proud. The development of the TEDA Cooperation Zone is a vivid testament to the continuously deepening Ethiopia-China relationship and the high level of mutual trust and cooperation between the governments of the two countries,” said Nahla.

As the interview came to a close, the setting sun dipped behind the distant hills, and the park’s lights gradually began to glow. From a once-desolate wasteland to today’s modern industrial hub, this emerging park by the Suhe Nai Spring is now revealing even greater possibilities.

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