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From Engineers on the Nile to a Shared Future: The History of Polish–Egyptian Economic Cooperation

From Engineers on the Nile to a Shared Future: The History of Polish–Egyptian Economic Cooperation The history of economic relations between Poland and Egypt dates back several centuries. As early as the modern era, Poles appeared along the Nile as craftsmen, merchants, and technical specialists, gradually becoming part of the country’s modernization process. From trade in cotton and spices to the construction of factories, bridges, and technical schools, the economic relations between the two nations evolved from individual initiatives into lasting institutional ties. Merchants, Craftsmen, and Pioneers The first traces of Polish economic presence in Egypt date back to the 17th century. Historical sources mention Dorota Falak from Tarzymiechy in Upper Silesia, who between 1630 and 1682 maintained trade relations with Suez and earned her living through the slave trade (via Suez she reached Sudan, from where she brought slaves). Another Polish woman involved in the slave trade between 1718 and 1760 operated mainly in Turkey. Her name was Regina Salomea Rusiecka Pilsztynowa, and preserved accounts indicate that she also visited Egypt, although it is unclear whether she did so as an “entrepreneur” or as a pilgrim to the Holy Land, since it is known that she undertook such a pilgrimage as well. In the 19th century, Stefan Marusieński from Kraków worked in Egypt, dealing with cotton shipping from Alexandria to European markets between 1880 and 1888. In Cairo, between 1908 and 1910, Juliusz Demmer from Lviv was active. Additionally, trading companies run by Jewish families originating from Polish territories operated in Cairo, Alexandria, and Ismailia, including Abraham Press from Przemyśl and his relatives Salomon Józef, Jakub, and Schulim with their families. Sources also record the presence of Jewish families from Światyń, Szczerzec, Mościska, Nadwórna, Gródek, Buczacz, and Stanisławów. In Cairo, a diaspora engaged in the paper trade was also active—among them were Leib and Markus Rosenfeld from Jarosław, as well as Maks Rosenfeld, an employee of the company Papeterie et Imprimerie. Insurance trade, meanwhile, was handled in early 20th-century Cairo by Albert Pinkasfeld from Kraków. There was also no shortage of craftsmen and military engineers who came to Egypt after the collapse of Poland’s national uprisings. Poles found employment in the Egyptian army or on engineering projects. Their expertise in fortifications, surveying, and hydraulic engineering made them highly valued specialists in the state of Muhammad Ali. Engineers of Egypt’s Modernization After the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became a center of modern investment. Among the thousands of foreigners employed in this great construction project were Poles—engineers, surveyors, and technicians—who worked on land surveying, bridge building, and road construction. In the second half of the 19th century, Mieczysław Geniusz, a graduate of the School of Roads and Bridges in Paris, worked along the Nile as the head of the Freshwater Department of the Suez Canal Construction Company. He operated in Ismailia and Port Said, and his expertise in hydrology and infrastructure was among the earliest examples of the transfer of Polish technical knowledge to Egypt. At the same time, Polish engineers took part in hydrotechnical surveys and irrigation system projects in Lower Egypt. Polish specialists also contributed to the modernization of the railway network. What united them all was that their work was not driven by economic expansion but by scientific and technical cooperation, based on mutual recognition and trust. Between the Wars – The Economic Polish Community At the beginning of the 20th century, a professional Polish community began to form in Cairo and Alexandria, composed of engineers, doctors, and entrepreneurs. In 1915, the Association of Voluntary Tax from Poles and Friends of Poland and Egypt was established. Its chairman was Karol Migurski, director of chemical plants in Al-Mansura. In 1917, the Association began publishing its own bulletin. By the mid-1930s, Polish specialists started arriving at the Egyptian glassworks in Yassin Bey near Cairo, where they were employed on government contracts facilitated by the Warsaw Emigration Society. A significant group of Polish professionals was based in the town of Helwan, where they trained Egyptian youth to work in the glass industry. War and Solidarity on the Nile During World War II, Egypt served as a key base for the Allied forces in Africa. Units of the Polish Armed Forces in the East, youth schools, and medical centers were stationed there. Poles worked in ports and technical facilities, while Polish newspapers and radio broadcasts in Alexandria and Cairo maintained national unity. Many Polish engineers and doctors who had passed through Persia and Palestine found employment in Egyptian hospitals, schools, and technical offices, contributing to the country’s reconstruction and social life. In this way, economic cooperation took on a humanitarian and social dimension. The Era of Partnership – Poles in the Construction of Modern Egypt After 1956, when the People’s Republic of Poland and Egypt established full diplomatic relations, economic cooperation flourished within the framework of the new solidarity among developing nations. The first contracts focused on the delivery of large industrial facilities, accompanied by Polish specialists who came to Egypt on individual scientific and technical assignments. As early as 1956, twelve Polish maritime pilots were sent to Egypt, tasked with guiding ships through the newly nationalized Suez Canal. In 1965, Poland granted Egypt several loans, followed by investments that included the supply of equipment for 17 Egyptian building materials factories. Poles built in Egypt a textile and dye factory, a plant producing pipe connectors, cutting tools, silicate bricks, a cast iron foundry in Helwan, and even bridges. These projects were managed by the Central Bureau for Export of Complete Industrial Facilities (CEKOP). More than 150 specialists were sent to Egypt, and about 100 Egyptians had previously been trained at the “Boruta” chemical plant in Zgierz. Poles also participated in the supply of railway rolling stock, Nysa and Żuk cars, Autosan buses, and agricultural machinery. Passenger cars such as the Polonez and Fiat 125 were assembled in Egypt from Polish components. Polish specialists provided aerial agricultural services to combat cotton pests. At the same time, scientific exchange developed—Egyptian students studied at Polish technical universities, while Polish professors lectured in Cairo and Alexandria. Science and technology became one of the pillars of economic cooperation. A New Beginning After 1990 Following the political transformation, economic relations between Poland and Egypt assumed a fully market-based character, and their dynamics began to reflect the real needs of both economies. Today, Poland focuses on exporting industrial products, machinery, and mechanical and electrical equipment, which constitute one of the main categories of Polish sales to the Egyptian market. Agricultural and food products—including apples, grains, dairy products, and meat—also play an important role, enjoying stable demand among Egyptian importers. Increasingly significant are chemical products, especially fertilizers, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, as well as metal goods and vehicle components. Egypt, in turn, exports primarily agricultural and food products to Poland, such as citrus fruits, strawberries, vegetables, and nuts, which form the core of Poland’s imports from the country. Textile materials and cotton products also play a key role, alongside smaller volumes of plastic and base metal goods. Trade volumes remain balanced—by 2024, the value of Polish exports to Egypt amounted to about USD 425 million, while imports from Egypt to Poland reached roughly USD 424 million, indicating an almost complete equilibrium in trade. The structure of exchange reflects the mature nature of the relationship, in which cooperation is based on market complementarity rather than competition. In the 21st century, green technologies, renewable energy, and digitalization are gaining increasing importance. The Polish Investment and Trade Agency supports entrepreneurs in Cairo, while joint research and educational projects link universities in both countries. A Bridge as Enduring as the Nile From the craftsmen of the 17th century to the engineers of the 20th and 21st centuries, the history of economic relations between Poland and Egypt is a story of work, trust, and mutual respect. Poles who came to the Nile with their knowledge and skills contributed to Egypt’s development while finding fertile ground for their ambitions and initiatives. Today, as the world seeks stable partnerships built on knowledge and technology, Polish–Egyptian relations stand as proof that the economy can be not only an exchange of goods but also a form of mutual trust and shared progress—a bridge that endures as long as the Nile itself.

The history of economic relations between Poland and Egypt dates back several centuries. As early as the modern era, Poles appeared along the Nile as craftsmen, merchants, and technical specialists, gradually becoming part of the country’s modernization process. From trade in cotton and spices to the construction of factories, bridges, and technical schools, the economic relations between the two nations evolved from individual initiatives into lasting institutional ties.

Merchants, Craftsmen, and Pioneers
The first traces of Polish economic presence in Egypt date back to the 17th century. Historical sources mention Dorota Falak from Tarzymiechy in Upper Silesia, who between 1630 and 1682 maintained trade relations with Suez and earned her living through the slave trade (via Suez she reached Sudan, from where she brought slaves). Another Polish woman involved in the slave trade between 1718 and 1760 operated mainly in Turkey. Her name was Regina Salomea Rusiecka Pilsztynowa, and preserved accounts indicate that she also visited Egypt, although it is unclear whether she did so as an “entrepreneur” or as a pilgrim to the Holy Land, since it is known that she undertook such a pilgrimage as well.

In the 19th century, Stefan Marusieński from Kraków worked in Egypt, dealing with cotton shipping from Alexandria to European markets between 1880 and 1888. In Cairo, between 1908 and 1910, Juliusz Demmer from Lviv was active. Additionally, trading companies run by Jewish families originating from Polish territories operated in Cairo, Alexandria, and Ismailia, including Abraham Press from Przemyśl and his relatives Salomon Józef, Jakub, and Schulim with their families. Sources also record the presence of Jewish families from Światyń, Szczerzec, Mościska, Nadwórna, Gródek, Buczacz, and Stanisławów.

In Cairo, a diaspora engaged in the paper trade was also active—among them were Leib and Markus Rosenfeld from Jarosław, as well as Maks Rosenfeld, an employee of the company Papeterie et Imprimerie. Insurance trade, meanwhile, was handled in early 20th-century Cairo by Albert Pinkasfeld from Kraków.

There was also no shortage of craftsmen and military engineers who came to Egypt after the collapse of Poland’s national uprisings. Poles found employment in the Egyptian army or on engineering projects. Their expertise in fortifications, surveying, and hydraulic engineering made them highly valued specialists in the state of Muhammad Ali.

Engineers of Egypt’s Modernization
After the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became a center of modern investment. Among the thousands of foreigners employed in this great construction project were Poles—engineers, surveyors, and technicians—who worked on land surveying, bridge building, and road construction. In the second half of the 19th century, Mieczysław Geniusz, a graduate of the School of Roads and Bridges in Paris, worked along the Nile as the head of the Freshwater Department of the Suez Canal Construction Company. He operated in Ismailia and Port Said, and his expertise in hydrology and infrastructure was among the earliest examples of the transfer of Polish technical knowledge to Egypt.

At the same time, Polish engineers took part in hydrotechnical surveys and irrigation system projects in Lower Egypt. Polish specialists also contributed to the modernization of the railway network. What united them all was that their work was not driven by economic expansion but by scientific and technical cooperation, based on mutual recognition and trust.

Between the Wars – The Economic Polish Community
At the beginning of the 20th century, a professional Polish community began to form in Cairo and Alexandria, composed of engineers, doctors, and entrepreneurs. In 1915, the Association of Voluntary Tax from Poles and Friends of Poland and Egypt was established. Its chairman was Karol Migurski, director of chemical plants in Al-Mansura. In 1917, the Association began publishing its own bulletin. By the mid-1930s, Polish specialists started arriving at the Egyptian glassworks in Yassin Bey near Cairo, where they were employed on government contracts facilitated by the Warsaw Emigration Society. A significant group of Polish professionals was based in the town of Helwan, where they trained Egyptian youth to work in the glass industry.

War and Solidarity on the Nile
During World War II, Egypt served as a key base for the Allied forces in Africa. Units of the Polish Armed Forces in the East, youth schools, and medical centers were stationed there. Poles worked in ports and technical facilities, while Polish newspapers and radio broadcasts in Alexandria and Cairo maintained national unity. Many Polish engineers and doctors who had passed through Persia and Palestine found employment in Egyptian hospitals, schools, and technical offices, contributing to the country’s reconstruction and social life. In this way, economic cooperation took on a humanitarian and social dimension.

The Era of Partnership – Poles in the Construction of Modern Egypt
After 1956, when the People’s Republic of Poland and Egypt established full diplomatic relations, economic cooperation flourished within the framework of the new solidarity among developing nations. The first contracts focused on the delivery of large industrial facilities, accompanied by Polish specialists who came to Egypt on individual scientific and technical assignments. As early as 1956, twelve Polish maritime pilots were sent to Egypt, tasked with guiding ships through the newly nationalized Suez Canal. In 1965, Poland granted Egypt several loans, followed by investments that included the supply of equipment for 17 Egyptian building materials factories. Poles built in Egypt a textile and dye factory, a plant producing pipe connectors, cutting tools, silicate bricks, a cast iron foundry in Helwan, and even bridges. These projects were managed by the Central Bureau for Export of Complete Industrial Facilities (CEKOP). More than 150 specialists were sent to Egypt, and about 100 Egyptians had previously been trained at the “Boruta” chemical plant in Zgierz.

Poles also participated in the supply of railway rolling stock, Nysa and Żuk cars, Autosan buses, and agricultural machinery. Passenger cars such as the Polonez and Fiat 125 were assembled in Egypt from Polish components. Polish specialists provided aerial agricultural services to combat cotton pests.

At the same time, scientific exchange developed—Egyptian students studied at Polish technical universities, while Polish professors lectured in Cairo and Alexandria. Science and technology became one of the pillars of economic cooperation.

A New Beginning After 1990
Following the political transformation, economic relations between Poland and Egypt assumed a fully market-based character, and their dynamics began to reflect the real needs of both economies. Today, Poland focuses on exporting industrial products, machinery, and mechanical and electrical equipment, which constitute one of the main categories of Polish sales to the Egyptian market. Agricultural and food products—including apples, grains, dairy products, and meat—also play an important role, enjoying stable demand among Egyptian importers. Increasingly significant are chemical products, especially fertilizers, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, as well as metal goods and vehicle components.

Egypt, in turn, exports primarily agricultural and food products to Poland, such as citrus fruits, strawberries, vegetables, and nuts, which form the core of Poland’s imports from the country. Textile materials and cotton products also play a key role, alongside smaller volumes of plastic and base metal goods.

Trade volumes remain balanced—by 2024, the value of Polish exports to Egypt amounted to about USD 425 million, while imports from Egypt to Poland reached roughly USD 424 million, indicating an almost complete equilibrium in trade. The structure of exchange reflects the mature nature of the relationship, in which cooperation is based on market complementarity rather than competition.

In the 21st century, green technologies, renewable energy, and digitalization are gaining increasing importance. The Polish Investment and Trade Agency supports entrepreneurs in Cairo, while joint research and educational projects link universities in both countries.

A Bridge as Enduring as the Nile
From the craftsmen of the 17th century to the engineers of the 20th and 21st centuries, the history of economic relations between Poland and Egypt is a story of work, trust, and mutual respect. Poles who came to the Nile with their knowledge and skills contributed to Egypt’s development while finding fertile ground for their ambitions and initiatives. Today, as the world seeks stable partnerships built on knowledge and technology, Polish–Egyptian relations stand as proof that the economy can be not only an exchange of goods but also a form of mutual trust and shared progress—a bridge that endures as long as the Nile itself.