Qatar invests $200m in SAF site in Egypt

Qatar is investing $200m to build a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility in the Ain Sokhna Integrated Zone in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone), Egypt.

The project will producer 200,000 tons of biofuels including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), biopropane, and bionaphtha.

Egyptian prime minister Mostafa Madbouly was present at the signing agreement.

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.

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.

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 announced its commitment to purchase 100% of the plant’s output, providing the commercial certainty needed to construct Egypt’s first commercial-scale SAF facility.