Egypt’s Minister of Industry, Khaled Hashem, and Minister of Supply and Internal Trade, Sherif Farouk, inaugurated the 14th edition of Food Ingredients Africa (Fi Africa) and ProPak MENA 2026, the region’s leading trade exhibitions for food processing, packaging, and packaging technologies.
Organised by Informa Markets, the events are being held from 2 to 4 June alongside the Food Guard Summit, bringing together industry leaders, manufacturers, investors, and decision-makers from across the food production value chain.
During the opening tour, Hashem visited several exhibitor stands, including five companies participating in Fi Africa and four companies exhibiting at ProPak MENA. He also toured the Ministry of Industry’s pavilion, which features the Industrial Development Authority, the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality, the Industrial Modernization Centre, and the Food Industries and Agricultural Processing Technology Center, highlighting the range of services available to Egypt’s industrial sector.
Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration, Hashem underscored the strategic importance of the food industries sector to the Egyptian economy, describing it as a key driver of industrial value chains, domestic market supply, and export growth.
“The food industry plays a pivotal role in enhancing the competitiveness of Egyptian products in international markets and opening new export destinations,” he said, noting that the sector is one of seven priority industries identified under the Ministry of Industry’s 2030 strategy, which seeks to position Egypt among the world’s leading food manufacturing hubs.
The minister described Fi Africa and ProPak MENA as premier platforms that bring together manufacturers, industry experts, and policymakers to showcase the latest innovations and technologies in food production, processing, packaging, and supply chain management.
He added that the exhibitions offer a comprehensive ecosystem covering raw materials, production inputs, machinery, packaging materials, and advanced technologies that support import substitution efforts and the development of local manufacturing capabilities.
Hashem reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to maintaining close engagement with manufacturers and exporters to address challenges related to global supply chains and energy, ensuring the continued growth and competitiveness of Egypt’s industrial sector.
He also noted that the Food Guard Summit aligns with Egypt’s broader efforts to expand agricultural land, improve water-use efficiency, and increase agricultural productivity. In this context, he highlighted the recently inaugurated New Delta Project as one of the country’s largest agricultural and development initiatives.
The minister further stressed the importance of increasing the added value of agricultural and food products, deepening local manufacturing, and strengthening cooperation among stakeholders across the food production ecosystem.
“Partnerships, innovation, and technology are the key drivers behind the success of the food industries sector and the expansion of its exports in global markets,” Hashem said.
This year’s editions of Fi Africa and ProPak MENA feature more than 400 exhibiting companies and are expected to attract over 15,000 visitors from 35 countries. The events aim to promote industrial investment, facilitate knowledge transfer, and strengthen regional and international industrial cooperation.
In addition, the exhibitions include an extensive programme of panel discussions and technical workshops led by industry experts, focusing on the latest developments in food manufacturing, value chains, processing technologies, and advanced packaging solutions.