Keeping the shiny side up is a way of telling someone to drive safely but that shiny side is the result of technical and precisely calibrated set of steps as any vehicle makes it way through the manufacturer’s paint shop – and it has to last the lifetime of that vehicle.
As a step to upscaling the auto industry, Volkswagen has signed an agreement with the Government of Egypt to work together to develop a feasibility study on a shared automotive painting facility within the East Port Said Industrial Zone in the East Port Said Automotive Zone northeast of Cairo.
The agreement was signed by the Chairman of the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone, Waleid Gamal Eldien, Chief Executive Officer of the Sovereign Fund of Egypt, Ayman Soliman, Managing Director of the East Port-Said Development Company, Dr. Ahmed Fikry and Chairperson and Managing Director of Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA), Martina Biene in the presence of the Prime Minister of Egypt, Dr Mostafa Madbouly at the headquarters of Council of Ministers in the New Administrative Capital.
Standing: Dr Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt and Dr Hala Al-Saeed, Minister of Planning and Economic Development
Signing (left to right): Martina Biene, Chairperson and Managing Director of Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA); Waleid Gamal Eldien, Chairman of the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone; Ayman Soliman, Chief Executive Officer of the Sovereign Fund of Egypt and Dr Ahmed Fikry, Managing Director of the East Port-Said Development Company
In June 2022 Egypt announced the Automotive Industry Development Programme (AIDP) that, like its counterpart in South Africa did, aims to foster the local value addition, increase vehicle production volume, boost and attract investment and improve emission standards in the automotive sector.
Biene commented: “Volkswagen is excited about the prospects of establishing its presence in the Egyptian market as part of its long term growth plans on the continent, especially in North Africa. The AIDP is one of the most progressive automotive programmes on the continent which Volkswagen intends to be part of. The signing of the strategic co-operation agreement with the Government of Egypt is the continuation of Volkswagen’s strategy to play a pioneering and leading role in the development of the automotive industry in Africa. ”
Volkswagen has been manufacturing vehicles in South Africa for over 72 years. It has three other vehicle assembly facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa. The facilities are in Kenya, Rwanda and Ghana. In addition, Volkswagen has a presence in 17 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa where it sells passenger and commercial vehicles through licensed importers.
Colin Windell - proudly CHANGECARS
