Cairo 3A to invest US$150M to boost production, establish Egypt’s first citric acid plant
The group has already invested over US$50 million in 2025 and plans to inject another US$50 million in 2026 to expand and modernize existing production lines.
EGYPT – Cairo 3A, one of Egypt’s largest vertically integrated agri-commodity and food processing groups, has announced a three-year investment plan worth US$150 million to boost its industrial production capacity and strengthen the country’s self-sufficiency in key food ingredients.
The group, active across trading, manufacturing, and food processing, will channel US$35 million of this investment into building Egypt’s first citric acid production plant, a landmark project expected to start operations in 2026 with an annual capacity of 35,000 tonnes.
According to Alaa El Gamil, Vice President of the Industrial Sector at Cairo 3A Group, the new citric acid factory will play a major role in curbing Egypt’s import dependence by saving approximately US$30 million annually.
Half of the plant’s output will be exported to Europe and Africa, reflecting Cairo 3A’s growing global trade ambitions.
The group has already invested over US$50 million in 2025 and plans to inject another US$50 million in 2026 to expand and modernize existing production lines across its food and industrial divisions.
These include manufacturing citric acid, sorbitol, mannitol, and starch derivatives, as well as new projects in the food and poultry sectors.
Export growth
Cairo 3A aims to increase the export share of its total production to between 40% and 50% annually, driven by strong international demand for its strawberries, frozen vegetables, and fruit concentrates.
The company’s exports reached US$100 million in 2024, are projected to hit US$150 million in 2025, and are targeted to soar to US$350 million by 2028.
El Gamil noted that the company plans to raise production by 20% annually across all factories to sustain export growth while balancing import costs with export revenues, a strategy designed to buffer against currency volatility and enhance foreign exchange earnings.
New industrial investments
Cairo 3A operates five major factories, including the National Company for Maize Products, which runs 11 production lines for processing maize, soybeans, starch, and glucose.
The company has been a pioneer in local sorbitol production, with output growing from 12 tonnes to 50 tonnes annually, and a target of 100 tonnes by 2027 to fully replace imports.
Additionally, Cairo 3A has introduced a new production line for Glucono Delta Lactone (GDL), a natural food additive used in producing soft white cheeses such as Queshir and Feta.
The company recently obtained Pharma Copia certification, allowing it to produce pharmaceutical-grade raw materials for both domestic and international markets.
Its subsidiary, the Egyptian Company for Starch and Glucose, has also started manufacturing modified starch for the food and textile industries, while other group factories specialize in animal feed, tea, food concentrates, and flour.
To strengthen raw material security, Cairo 3A has begun cultivating maize and soybeans, already establishing two farms with plans to expand by 6,000 feddans in the Al-Oweinat and Farafra regions.
In the poultry segment, the company targets an annual production of 60,000 tonnes of poultry meat, alongside ready-to-eat products such as nuggets, strips, and breaded chicken aimed at both domestic consumption and export markets.
El Gamil emphasized that these investments form part of Cairo 3A’s long-term strategy to create a fully integrated value chain, from agricultural production to food manufacturing, reducing Egypt’s reliance on imports and positioning the group as a regional leader in agri-industrial innovation.
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