There is what France is doing diplomatically to maintain its positions in Africa – and so far it is holding up after the setbacks in the Sahel – there is what Paris is doing on the business front, in complete discretion but with a lot of efficiency. Nobody shouted it from the rooftops, yet Egypt and the French Ministry of the Economy (the same one which is active in Morocco and Algeria) have sealed a memorandum of understanding which opens the way for the giant French Alstom. There is talk of setting up two factories in the city of Alexandria to produce rolling stock and railway components. The merchandise is intended for the needs of the local market but also for the entire continent. Who said that France has given up on its interests in Africa?
An offer in a region where demand is exploding
This investment is very strategic to the extent that a plethora of railway projects are in preparation or have been announced in Africa to transport the raw materials which drive local industries or head to ports to be exported. And the fact is that this strong demand for railway vehicles, parts and components is not met by the African industrial fabric, so France has decided to place its pawns.
The factories will occupy an area of 125,453 m², including 36,421 m² dedicated to expansion projects in the future. One of the units will manufacture metro trains, light rail vehicles, monorail cars and mainline rolling stock. The other unit will produce electrical components, systems and equipment, mainly panels and signaling but also wiring.
The products are intended for export to various countries, but the first units are reserved for Line 6 of the Cairo Metro. This program is part of a mega plan developed by Egypt for years to raise the level of its railway sector. With a project of this scale, Cairo will ultimately become a leading player in rail transport in Africa, and France will gain stripes through the relationships of the “land of the pharaohs” on the continent.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi has already obtained the modernization of existing rails, the installation of new circuits and the renewal of the entire train fleet. Thanks to this joint venture with the big name Alstom, Egypt will be able to sell ultra-modern trains in Africa, where existing factories only produce wagons, parts and components.
Al-Sissi reunites with his great friend Macron
The personal relations between al-Sissi and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron certainly have a lot to do with this avant-garde partnership in Africa. Remember that in December 2020 the French head of state rolled out the red carpet for the Egyptian president, he even presented him with the highest French distinction, the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, which had ulcerated associations for the defense of human rights…
Although they shouted that this signal honor was a severe blow to democratic ideals, Paris did not care, and for good reason: the call of business is infinitely more powerful. Moreover, in November 2021 Macron will be rewarded with a contract worth 876 million euros to equip the Cairo metro and maintain it for 8 years, a contract won by Alstom. Added to this are the two Mistral warships sold to Egypt by France, for an amount of 950 million euros.
Certainly al-Sissi was unfaithful to Macron in June 2022 by choosing the German Siemens to install the line and the high-speed train, a huge contract worth several billion euros, but Paris and Cairo find each other.
President Macron did not keep his commitment to visit Africa every 6 months to defend the interests of the French, but ultimately the country’s economic diplomacy is doing well on its own; it is perhaps even preferable for the French executive to step back in such a tormented situation in Africa.
