Qatar is investing $200 million to build a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production facility in the Ain Sokhna Integrated Zone, marking the first Qatari industrial investment in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone). The project, led by Al Mana Holding Company, will use cooking oils to produce 200,000 tons annually of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), biopropane, and bionaphtha, all linked to SAF.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly witnessed the signing of the landmark contract at the government headquarters in the New  Capital, according to a cabinet statement. The agreement was signed between the SCZone Authority and Al Mana Holding in the presence of Walid Gamal El-Din, Chairman of SCZone; Mustafa Sheikhoun, Vice Chairman of the SCZONE, together with Abdulaziz Al Mana, CEO of Al Mana Holding Group and Chairman of the Green Sky Capital, a SAF platform focused on developing renewable fuel projects across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with the Egyptian facility serving as its inaugural project.​

The SAF facility will be built on a 100,000-square-meter site in Ain Sokhna, including 70,000 square meters in the industrial zone and the remaining area at Ain Sokhna Port. Al Mana Holding has signed a long-term offtake agreement with Shell to purchase the full output of the project, with commercial supply scheduled to begin by the end of 2027, according to the statement.

Madbouly stated that the project is a significant addition that strengthens SCZone’s ability to keep pace with the global shift toward renewable energy, particularly in supporting the rapidly growing aviation sector in line with environmental sustainability standards.

The prime minister added that the signing, which coincided with the Egyptian-Qatari Business Forum in Cairo, reflects the recent positive momentum in relations between the two countries and the strong commitment of their political leadership to translate cooperation into tangible investment projects.

Al Mana Holding Company is a Qatar-based diversified private group with investments across energy, automotive, real estate, retail, and industry. In recent years, the company has expanded into clean energy and sustainable aviation fuel projects, partnering with global companies on low-carbon initiatives.

Last week, Shell committed to purchase 100% of the plant’s output, providing the commercial certainty needed to construct Egypt’s first commercial-scale SAF facility. The long-term offtake agreement enables Al Mana Holding to secure financing and proceed with construction, with Shell set to receive the full production once operations commence in late 2027.