Arab countries make up almost half of Egypt’s food exports

Arab countries were the top destination for Egyptian processed food exports in the first four months of 2026, accounting for nearly half of total shipments, the Food Export Council (FEC) said.

Exports to Arab countries rose 5 percent year on year to $1.1 billion between January and April.

This came despite the Middle East being engulfed in the Iran war since February 28, with the Strait of Hormuz nearly blocked and global supply chains and crude oil flows disrupted.

The European Union ranked second, with imports rising to $551 million from $480 million last year and accounting for 23 percent of Cairo’s total exports, the FEC said in a statement.

Exports to the United States and non-Arab countries were $160 million and $155 million, respectively.

Overall, processed food exports rose 4 percent annually to $2.4 billion in the first four months of 2026.

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The FEC said in February that food exports grew by about 12 percent to a record high of nearly $7 billion in 2025.

In August 2025, it was announced that Egypt aims to boost farming exports to around $19 billion in 2030.

In a previous report, the FEC said main food exports include citrus fruits, potatoes (fresh and frozen), olives, frozen strawberries, grapes, mangoes, garlic, pasta, food preparations, herbs and spices and tahini products.