Egypt has taken a significant step in strengthening its pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity with the launch of the GENNVAX vaccine production facility, which is expected to become the largest fully integrated vaccine manufacturing complex in the Middle East and Africa.
The foundation stone for the project was laid on Tuesday at a ceremony attended by senior government figures, ambassadors and leaders from the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. Those present included Hassan El Khatib, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade; Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population; Walid Gamal El-Din, Chairperson of the Suez Canal Economic Zone; and Amr El-Batrik, CEO of Orascom Industrial Parks.
Senior health officials in attendance included Ali El-Ghamrawy, Chairperson of the Egyptian Drug Authority; Mohamed Awad Tag El-Din, Advisor to the President for Health and Prevention Affairs; Nima Abid, WHO Representative in Egypt; and Hisham Stait, Chairperson of the Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement. Representatives from GENNVAX’s international partners and industry stakeholders also joined the event.
The facility will be located within Orascom Industrial Parks in the Suez Canal Economic Zone and is being developed as a fully integrated manufacturing complex that covers the entire vaccine production process. Officials described the project as closely aligned with Egypt’s Vision 2030, with a focus on expanding domestic vaccine production, strengthening national drug security and supporting exports.
The project is backed by total investments of $150 million and has been awarded the Golden Licence by the Prime Minister, reflecting its strategic importance and export potential. The plant is being designed to meet international quality standards and to qualify for World Health Organization prequalification, which would allow access to global procurement markets.
Once operational, the facility is expected to manufacture 29 vaccines and serums through technology transfer agreements with 15 international partners. Each production line will have an annual capacity of up to 270 million doses. The project is also forecast to generate between 500 and 700 direct jobs.
An integrated digital infrastructure will support the facility’s operations, enabling efficiency, traceability and quality control across production stages. Sustainability has also been built into the design, with solar energy solutions included as part of Egypt’s wider green transformation strategy.
GENNVAX is a subsidiary of El Daba Holding, a national group established in 1957 with activities across Egypt and several international markets. The development forms part of Egypt’s broader plan to expand local pharmaceutical manufacturing and strengthen its position as a regional centre for vaccine production serving the Middle East and Africa.
