According to conservative figures, the current official estimates put Egypt's gas reserves at around 32.7 trillion cubic feet. The current production of 1.6 billion feet per day is consumed domestically. In April 1998, EGPC signed an exclusive 25-year franchise with a consortium of companies led by British Gas to build a 500 km gas pipeline from South of Cairo to Asyut. When completed in 2002, the pipeline project will provide energy to industry and households. Meanwhile, EGPC called for bids to build and operate a 500 million standard cubic feet per day liquefied petroleum gas recovery plant.
Textile industry is the largest industrial sector.
Other products include cement, paper, motor vehicles, tyres, glass, pipes and electrical goods. A Technology Valley Industrial Zone is being set up to focus on producing hi-tech products. Privatisation programme is the cornerstone of the structural reform in Egypt. Foreign and domestic investors have launched a series of new projects in favoured sectors such as cement, steel, fertilizers, petrochemicals and tourism. Egypt's cement sector is set for robust growth in the next three to five years.