In a high-profile development during his Türkiye roadshow, Walid Gamal El-Din, Chairman of the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), signed a $40 million contract with Türkiye’s HIPER Plastic to build Egypt’s first zero-emissions recycling plant in the Qantara West Industrial Zone. The agreement, inked with HIPER’s chairman Mokhles (Muhlis) Çağlar, commits to constructing the facility over two phases across 100,000 m², with expected creation of 700 direct jobs.
The project will deploy cutting-edge recycling techniques — sorting, crushing, washing, and specialised processing — for PET, polypropylene (DOTP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE). It is designed to operate with zero emissions, aligning with SCZONE’s environmental ambitions.
Gamal El-Din framed the deal as emblematic of SCZONE’s goal to attract integrated industrial clusters that bring both economic and environmental value. He underscored that Qantara West has been upgraded with world-class infrastructure and utilities, making it an appealing hub for textiles, garments, and now green manufacturing. The seamless linkage between SCZONE’s zones and affiliated seaports, he said, ensures direct access to global markets.
By virtue of the HIPER Plastic deal, Qantara West cements its position in Egypt’s industrial expansion narrative. The zone already hosts 41 projects across industry, logistics, and services, with cumulative investments of $1.093 billion, occupying 2.57 million m² and employing over 56,500 direct workers.
This move complements recent FDI activity in the zone. In September 2025, SCZONE sealed a $130 million contract with China’s Everfar to establish a vertically integrated textile hub in Qantara West. The HIPER Plastic agreement thus expands the zone’s industrial portfolio into circular economy and sustainability sectors — a strategic pivot with implications for Egypt’s plastic waste management ambitions (estimated at ~970,000 tonnes annually) and its export growth trajectory.
As global investors monitor green industrial opportunities across the Middle East and Africa, the HIPER Plastic project positions Qantara West — and by extension SCZONE — as a regional showcase for harmonising sustainable development and industrial competitiveness.
