Ukinox plans $14 million stainless steel sink plant in Egypt’s Suez Canal zone

Turkish manufacturer selects Sokhna

Turkish manufacturer Ukinox plans to establish a stainless steel kitchen sink factory in Egypt’s Sokhna Industrial Zone, extending Turkish industrial investment in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, or SCZONE. According to Sözcü, the project represents a $14 million investment and will occupy a site covering 37,000 square metres.

The agreement was signed between Main Development Company, the development arm of the SCZONE authority, and Ukinox Manufacturing Company. Citing information published by Egypt’s State Information Service, Sözcü reported that MDC General Manager General Walid Youssef and Ukinox Chairman Orhan Hakoğlu signed the contract. SCZONE General Authority Chairman Walid Gamal El-Din attended the signing ceremony at the authority’s headquarters in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital.

Production targeted for mid-2028

The first phase is scheduled to begin production and operations in mid-2028. The factory is expected to create 220 direct jobs and is designed to reach annual capacity of 1.2 million stainless steel kitchen sinks. Its output is intended to serve both the Egyptian market and international customers.

Ukinox already manufactures sinks, ovens, cooker hoods, hobs and taps in Türkiye and exports to more than 100 countries. The Egyptian facility therefore gives an established exporter an additional production base near the Suez Canal, a major route linking Asian, Middle Eastern, European and African markets. The source did not disclose the planned split between domestic sales and exports or identify individual destination countries for the new plant.

Costs push production beyond Türkiye

Sözcü presented the investment against a backdrop of rising production and operating costs in Türkiye. The publication said Turkish textile manufacturers had previously moved production abroad and described engineering and metal companies as facing similar pressures. No sector-wide investment, output or relocation figures were provided, so the Ukinox project alone does not establish the scale of that broader movement.

For importers, the plant could eventually add a new Egyptian source of finished stainless steel sinks, although commercial supply is not expected before mid-2028. For exporters and suppliers, the project may generate demand for stainless steel inputs, forming equipment, components, packaging and factory services. Its location inside SCZONE could also support shipments to multiple regional markets, but the source gave no details on sourcing, trade preferences, logistics costs or export contracts.

Trade implications depend on sourcing

The project moves part of Ukinox’s future manufacturing capacity closer to Egypt’s domestic construction and consumer-goods markets while retaining access to overseas buyers. At the targeted capacity, the plant could become a sizeable supplier of kitchen sinks, but actual production volumes will depend on commissioning, demand and the pace at which the facility ramps up after opening.

The effect on bilateral trade between Türkiye and Egypt will depend heavily on the factory’s supply chain. Turkish shipments of machinery, components or steel could rise if Ukinox sources from its existing network, while greater local procurement would deepen the plant’s Egyptian industrial footprint. The available information does not specify where the stainless steel or production machinery will originate, leaving the project’s eventual impact on merchandise trade flows unresolved.