Egypt and Finland Discussions Spotlight HMD Global’s Plans to Expand Mobile Phone Manufacturing

On the sidelines of the visit of Finland’s President to Egypt, Minister of Communications and Information Technology  Raafat Hendy has met with Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of HMD Global  (a licensee of the Nokia phone brand) Jean-Francois Baril. The meeting focused on HMD’s plans to expand mobile phone manufacturing in Egypt and boost exports to regional markets.

The meeting was attended by Under-Secretary of State for International Trade at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland Jarno Syrjala, Commercial Counselor at the Embassy of Finland in Cairo Tapio Naula, CEO of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA)  Ahmed Elzaher, Vice President for Technical Affairs and Quality at the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA)  Hossam Abdel Mawla, Vice President for Regulatory Affairs and Market Governance at NTRA Amr Abbas, Head of the Electronics Industry Program at ITIDA Yasser AbdelBary; Vice President for Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa (AMEA) at HMD Global Sanmeet Kochhar; Chairman of the Egyptian Silicon Industries Company (E-SICO) Mohamed Salem, General Manager of HMD in Egypt Tamer ElGamal, and officials from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and HMD.

During the meeting, HMD officials outlined the progress of local manufacturing operations, which began in 2023. They also referred to the company’s collaboration with E-SICO manufacturing facility at New Assiut Technology Park.

The discussions also covered the company’s plans to begin exporting to North African markets in the near future, as well as ways to accelerate access to regional markets in Africa and Europe. They also explored strengthening cooperation to increase local value added by developing feeder industries and attracting suppliers to the Egyptian market, thereby reinforcing local value chains and enhancing the global competitiveness of Egyptian products.

HMD officials mentioned that the company is currently producing around 12 product models in Egypt, with production expected to reach approximately two million mobile phones, including feature phones and smartphones, in 2026. This growth is driven by expanded smartphone production, increased reliance on local manufacturing, and a stronger export orientation.

For his part, the ICT Minister underlined MCIT’s commitment to reinforcing Egypt’s position as a regional hub for mobile phone manufacturing, as part of broader efforts to support and indigenize the electronics industry as a key pillar of digital economy development. He emphasized that the expansion of multinational manufacturing operations in Egypt represents a significant step toward deepening local manufacturing, increasing value added, and enhancing the competitiveness of Egyptian products in regional and global markets.

Hendy also highlighted the Ministry’s dedication to fostering an enabling investment environment that supports the expansion of companies’ manufacturing operations in Egypt and strengthens their export capabilities to regional markets. He underscored the importance of partnerships between international and local companies in facilitating technology transfer, building capacities, and indigenizing the mobile phone industry.

Baril, for his part, outlined HMD’s expansion plans for 2026–2027, which include a gradual transition toward the production of 4G mobile phones and an increased share of smartphones. He emphasized that Egypt represents a strategic hub for the company’s regional operations, given its competitive advantages, most notably its strategic location and skilled talent pool. These advantages support the company’s expansion plans and position Egypt as a hub for exports to Africa and other markets.

In addition, Baril highlighted his company’s efforts to develop innovative solutions that enable the delivery of digital services on both smartphones and feature phones.