Unilever Egypt lifts Mashreq factory capacity by 20%

Unilever Egypt has commissioned a new Sunsilk shampoo production line at its Mashreq Personal Care factory in 6th of October City, raising the plant’s annual production capacity by 20% and directing the additional output entirely to export markets.

The line is the 13th at the factory and forms part of the consumer goods group’s expansion of manufacturing in Egypt. The facility currently sends about 65% of its production to overseas markets, supplying more than 30 countries, while sourcing roughly 80% of its manufacturing materials locally.

Egypt’s Industry Minister Khaled Hashem inaugurated the line alongside Investment and Foreign Trade Minister Mohamed Farid, Giza Governor Ahmed El-Ansary and senior Unilever executives. The opening coincided with the Mashreq Personal Care plant marking 20 years of operations.

Hashem said the expansion reflected Unilever’s role as a manufacturing and export partner and supported the government’s objectives of deepening local production, raising exports and connecting domestic industry more closely with global supply chains. The Industry Ministry said Unilever ranks first among exporters of personal care products from Egypt.

The new Sunsilk line uses liquid-bottling technology designed for precise mass and volume control, according to company information released around the inauguration. Unilever said the equipment would increase output while maintaining product specifications and would also bring additional manufacturing technology and know-how to its local workforce.

Cem Tarık Yüksel, Unilever’s chief executive for North Africa, the Levant and Iraq, said Egypt had become an important manufacturing and export base for the group. He said the new line would allow the company to manufacture more products locally and serve a larger number of export markets while transferring technology and production expertise to its teams.

Unilever has invested about €125 million in Egypt since 2015, including approximately €7.5 million during 2026, according to figures disclosed by Yüksel. The company plans to add further production lines by 2027 as it transfers additional manufacturing to Egypt for international markets.

Across Egypt, Unilever operates three factories, two in 6th of October City and one in Borg El Arab, Alexandria. They have a combined 43 production lines, including five added during 2025 and 2026, and annual production capacity of about 160,000 tonnes. The Mashreq Personal Care plant accounts for roughly 70,000 tonnes of that capacity.

The company manufactures more than 14 brands and over 1,200 products in Egypt. More than half of its overall production in the country is exported, with shipments reaching more than 40 markets across the Gulf, Europe, Türkiye, Africa, the Levant and Iraq. Unilever also works with more than 110 local suppliers.

The company employs more than 900 people across its Egyptian operations. Egypt also serves as a regional headquarters for Unilever’s business covering North Africa, the Levant and Iraq, a market the company says encompasses more than 300 million consumers. At the Mashreq plant, the export emphasis means the new capacity is intended to feed external demand rather than simply enlarge supply for Egypt’s domestic market.

El-Ansary said Giza governorate would continue coordinating with the relevant ministries to address obstacles facing investors and support industrial expansion in the 6th of October City manufacturing zone.

Farid said the investment supported higher value-added manufacturing, technology localisation, skills transfer, job creation and development of local supply chains. He said expanding export-oriented production was consistent with Egypt’s effort to attract investment that contributes to industrial capacity rather than relying solely on the domestic market.

Unilever has indicated that it intends to raise its total production capacity in Egypt by about 50% over the next two years while entering additional export markets. Its plans also include greater use of renewable energy and measures intended to improve the environmental performance of manufacturing operations.

The Mashreq Personal Care factory occupies a 22,000-square-metre site, including about 13,000 square metres of built area. It makes products across personal care, beauty and home care categories. Production at the plant has quadrupled over its two decades of operation.