Did you know that if the country you live in allows private sector participation in defense industries (which is the normal situation in most countries around the world), private companies are able to move and communicate directly with foreign defense companies, whether for purchasing or collaboration or transferring expertise?
This communication usually starts as soon as an email containing a Request for Information (RFI) is sent, with attendance at international defense exhibitions, and conducting technical visits to review the products and available capabilities.
Any agreement between two companies in the defense sector is in its early stages only, and is not considered final. Contracts related to weapons or sovereign systems or sensitive technology are subject to prior government approvals, and are subject to the oversight of the competent authorities in the two countries, whether they are ministries of defense or defense industry authorities or export control offices.
But in general, the opportunities available to private companies are real and present, even in countries that are not among the major arms exporters. Many companies in the global defense industries operate on the logic of supply chains, and they do not manufacture everything themselves. And this opens the door for a private company in a country like Egypt, if it possesses real industrial capacity and clear quality standards, to reach out to a Turkish or European defense company and offer to manufacture a specific component at a lower price, or with higher quality, or with faster delivery.
The discussion here is usually about components, structures, mechanical parts, non-sensitive electronics, and contract manufacturing and assembly work, and not about fully sovereign systems. Nevertheless, this remains a real opportunity to bring in hard currency and gain practical knowledge of aspects of technology.
This type of cooperation is already taking place in many countries, and usually begins with partial industrial contracts, or industrial offset programs (Offsets), or through companies entering as secondary suppliers.
It is a natural path to build real expertise without clashing with national security considerations or export controls. Therefore there may be an opportunity – even if you are not directly involved in the sale of weapons – to participate in a broader industrial ecosystem, and to operate under its rules, and to grow step by step.
Do you know who is preventing Egyptian companies from entering the market in this way and from benefiting the Egyptian industry and hard currency? They are not hostile states, nor conspiracies, nor anything of that sort… but it is stubbornness, ignorance, and bureaucracy.
The real obstacle is that the environment itself is hostile. Any private company attempting to move along this path collides from day one with a system that considers any proximity to the defense sector as something that must remain a closed monopoly, even if the matter concerns a nail, a cabinet, or an electronic panel that carries no sovereign sensitivity.
Endless procedures, and unclear approvals, multiple authorities, each one saying 'this is not my area of responsibility,' with a chronic fear of making decisions, because the overall picture we have is that any step will be held politically accountable rather than administratively.
At the same time, no one outlines the roadmap. There is no guidance explaining to companies what to do if they want to enter as a defense supplier: whom should they contact? What is allowed and what is forbidden? How do you prepare to meet the required quality standards and certifications? In many countries, these matters are written and announced, and there is a clear separation between sovereign industries and industrial supply chains. For us, the two matters are in one basket and tightly closed.
We now have Egyptian companies that possess real capabilities in metalworking, CNC machining, manufacturing of composite materials (Composites), and industrial electronics, but they remain confined to a weak domestic market. Meanwhile, companies of the same type in Turkey or Eastern Europe have become part of the supply chains for aircraft, drones, radars, and naval systems, and export in dollars and euros. And most importantly, they are learning and growing.
This is the natural, orderly, and legally protected path. And almost all countries around the world have walked this path to build their industries step by step. Ignoring this path is not protecting national security, but it is a waste of opportunities, closing a door that could bring hard currency, developing industrial know-how, creating jobs, and establishing a real foundation for any future defense ambition.
This is an AI-generated en translation. The original text is in ar
PhD Researcher in Defense Contracting and Cooperation Policies
