The Egyptian government has launched the ‘Egyptian Cotton Festival’ initiative with the aim to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and production clusters operating across Egypt’s cotton value chain.
The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA) has launched the initiative in cooperation with Cairo Governorate and in collaboration with the Egyptian Marketing Studies Foundation.
The initiative seeks to help businesses establish stronger linkages with major brands, enhance production and marketing efficiency, and expand access to local and international markets.
The initiative will support spinning and weaving industries, ginning and spinning machinery, dyes and chemicals, in addition to suppliers and agents dealing in cotton raw materials.
Participating businesses will also receive assistance in developing operations through financial and technical support programmes.
Bassel Rahmy, CEO of MSMEDA, met Mahmoud Hassan, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Egyptian Marketing Studies Foundation, to announce the agency’s sponsorship of the initiative.
Rahmy said the programme aligns with directives issued by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, who also chairs MSMEDA’s board, to strengthen the capabilities of domestic small-scale industries, support export potential, and expand locally manufactured products capable of replacing imports while remaining competitive.
He noted that enterprises operating within Egypt’s cotton sector represent a promising industry that MSMEDA is keen to support, alongside other sectors.
According to Rahmy, the initiative will be implemented through several pillars coordinated by MSMEDA in cooperation with relevant authorities.
These include introducing businesses to export mechanisms, helping entrepreneurs understand required procedures, and supporting them in obtaining certifications needed to access international markets.
The programme will also assist enterprises in benefiting from incentives available under the MSME Development Law No. 152 of 2020 and Law No. 6 of 2025, which provides tax incentives through the Egyptian Tax Authority.
“In addition, efforts will focus on strengthening partnerships between larger companies and smaller enterprises,” Daily News Egypt reported.
Rahmy added that Cairo Governorate is sponsoring the initiative as part of broader cooperation with MSMEDA to support the MSME sector, in line with state efforts to increase the sector’s contribution to the national economy.
For his part, Mahmoud Hassan said the Egyptian Marketing Studies Foundation aims to drive meaningful improvements in marketing and institutional practices while promoting Egyptian products domestically and internationally to enhance competitiveness.
Image courtesy: Daily News Egypt
