{"id":58356,"date":"2018-11-26T13:00:07","date_gmt":"2018-11-26T13:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/11\/26\/is-the-expansion-of-egypts-defense-industry-working\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:17:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:17:46","slug":"is-the-expansion-of-egypts-defense-industry-working","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/mideast-africa\/2018\/11\/26\/is-the-expansion-of-egypts-defense-industry-working\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the expansion of Egypt\u2019s defense industry working?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BEIRUT \u2014 Four years after Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi took charge of managing the country\u2019s affairs, dozens of military-owned companies have flourished and the Army has undergone a rapid military buildup, a reflection of Egypt\u2019s efforts to return to prestige<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To strengthen this progress, el-Sissi stressed in July the importance of continuing the development of companies and factories affiliated with the Ministry of Military Production, as well as enhancing the national industry, exporting surplus production and developing military products to cover the needs of the Armed Forces. He also underlined the need to boost cooperation between the ministry and major global companies to acquire modern technology and bolster local innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assuming the president\u2019s plans are a success, Egypt could expand its defense-industrial base beyond domestic requirements, and toward global competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Military-technical cooperation between Egypt and other countries \u2014 mainly Russia, China and the United States (the two former of which have an interest in dislodging the latter\u2019s influence in the Middle East) \u2014 has reached \u201can unprecedented level during the last two years,\u201d according to Mohamed al-Kenany, a researcher at the Arab Forum for Iranian Policy Analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis period has witnessed a number of frequent visits and meetings between the minister of military production, Mohamed el Assar, and a number of defense ministers, ambassadors and heads of international defense companies,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And those strong relationships have translated into global cooperation, explained Ahmed Kamel al-Beheiri, an expert in regional security issues at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\t