Egypt’s Minister of State for Military Production, Mohamed Salah El-Din, witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between Benha Electronics Industries (Factory 144) and French multinational Thales on Monday.

The agreement, signed by Tarek Elabbasy, Chairperson of Benha Electronics, and Christophe Salomon, Executive Vice-President for Secure Communications and Information Systems at Thales, aims to establish a joint venture company named “Thales and Benha Electronics S.A.E.”

This initiative aligns with the Ministry of Military Production’s strategy of localizing advanced manufacturing technologies within its subsidiaries through partnerships with global companies. The primary focus remains fulfilling the needs of the Armed Forces for various ammunition, weapons, equipment, and advanced electronic systems.

Minister Salah El-Din emphasized the utilization of surplus production capacities for manufacturing high-quality, competitively-priced civilian products. This strategy also contributes to national development projects, ultimately serving Egyptian citizens and boosting the national economy.

He highlighted President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi’s directives to integrate with the local and global private sector in various manufacturing fields. This aligns with the state’s broader goals of developing and utilizing domestic manufacturing capabilities with Egyptian expertise while maintaining the highest international quality standards.

The agreement underscores the ministry’s commitment to human capital development. It includes provisions for practical and technical training, aiming to qualify a skilled workforce of engineers and technicians in these specialized fields.

Salomon expressed his satisfaction with the partnership, aiming to achieve a strategic collaboration that benefits both parties. He outlined Thales’ expertise in advanced technology across aerospace, cybersecurity, and defence and security sectors. The company possesses strong research and development interests in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud computing, and sixth-generation technologies.

Thales has maintained a presence in Egypt since 1973, contributing to significant military and civilian projects within the country. A memorandum of understanding was signed with Benha Electronics during the EDEX 2023 exhibition last December, followed by further discussions that led to this cooperation agreement.

Mohamed Eid Bakr, Media Advisor to the Minister of State for Military Production, reiterated the ministry’s openness to collaboration with specialized global companies across various industrial fields. He emphasized the ministry’s interest in leveraging French expertise in military manufacturing, building on the strong ties between the two countries.

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