El Shams › The factory
Since 1981
A textile factory in Egypt, not a trading desk.
El Shams runs dyeing, printing and finishing on its own line in 10th of Ramadan — 45 years, 400+ staff and three ISO certifications behind every roll that leaves the mill.
Who we are
Forty-five years of one thing, done properly.
El Shams Dyehouse was founded by Mr Shawky Mokhtar, who has led fabric manufacturing in Egypt for more than forty-five years. Under his direction the company grew from a dyehouse into a mill recognised across the region for dyeing, finishing and printing — one of the Middle East's better-known names in the trade.
Today Gergis Shawky, Owner and Commercial Manager, handles the company's commercial growth, customer relationships and continued expansion, building on the framework the founder set: quality, speed, and a line that stays open to the customer's own criteria.
There is a difference between a factory and an agent, and buyers learn it the hard way. When you place an order with El Shams, the cloth is dyed, printed and finished in our own building by our own people, on machinery we maintain. Nothing is quietly subcontracted to a third mill whose name you will never be told.
The mill in numbers
What sits behind an order.
| Founded by | Mr Shawky Mokhtar — 45 years in Egyptian fabric manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Location | 10th of Ramadan, Industrial Zone B1, Pace (4) IXA4, Sharkia, Egypt |
| Staff | 400+ across production, quality control and administration |
| Disciplines | Dyeing · prep printing · finishing, all on one line |
| Fibres | Cotton, viscose, polyester and blends |
| Certifications | ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 45001:2018 |
| Serves | Textile mills and ready-made garment manufacturers, Egypt and export |
What we run
Three disciplines, one line.
Most orders move through all three stages without leaving the building — which is where the lead time and the shade consistency come from.
Dyeing →
Plain dyed fabric across cotton, viscose, polyester and blends, on jets, banana jets, jiggers and continuous lines matched to the order.
- Reactive, vat, disperse and sulphur classes
- Matched to your pantone or physical swatch
- New varieties developed on request
Printing →
Prep printing on yardage ahead of garment production, built around the pattern a buyer actually needs.
- Rotary screen for volume
- Digital pigment for short runs
- Sampled before bulk commitment
Finishing →
Stenter, compactor and chemical finishing that gets cloth ready to cut and sew.
- Width and shrinkage set to spec
- Handle tuned to the end use
- Every roll inspected and graded
Why 10th of Ramadan
Egypt's industrial city, an hour from Cairo.
The 10th of Ramadan industrial zone in Sharkia is where a large share of Egypt's textile and garment industry actually sits. For a buyer that means three practical things: the supporting trades — spinners, weavers, garment factories, accessory suppliers — are close enough that a whole supply chain can be coordinated inside one region; skilled dyeing and finishing labour is available rather than imported; and the mill sits within road reach of Cairo, Port Said and Alexandria, which is how orders leave the country.
For an international buyer weighing Egypt against other sourcing origins, the arithmetic is usually shipping time and duty. Egypt's trade agreements with the European Union and the Arab region, and sailing times to Mediterranean ports measured in days rather than weeks, are why a European brand looks here rather than further east.
How we operate
Built around the buyer's own spec.
Customer-set criteria
Every order runs against the quality, speed and communication standard the customer sets — not just our own house standard.
Modern, varied machinery
A continually maintained setup across dyeing, printing and finishing, so the machine is matched to the order rather than the order to the machine.
Traceable production
Every stage is logged against the order, so a fault can be traced back to where it happened.
Certified and auditable
ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 — the three certifications an international buyer asks for at audit.
Common questions
Before you send a spec
Where is the factory?
10th of Ramadan, Industrial Zone B1, Pace (4) IXA4, Sharkia, Egypt — inside Egypt's largest industrial city, roughly an hour from Cairo and within reach of both Port Said and Alexandria for export.
What certifications do you hold?
ISO 9001:2015 for quality management, ISO 14001:2015 for environmental management and ISO 45001:2018 for occupational health and safety, all verified to international standards.
How large is the operation?
More than 400 staff across dyeing, printing, finishing, quality control and administration, with 45 years of continuous production since the company was founded by Mr Shawky Mokhtar.
Who do you supply?
Textile mills and ready-made garment manufacturers, in Egypt and abroad. Buyers typically come to us for plain-dyed yardage, printed yardage or finishing, and many use all three stages.
Can we visit or audit the mill?
Yes. Buyers are welcome to visit, and the mill is set up for the audits a European or Gulf customer will want to run. Contact the commercial office to arrange a date.
Do you work with international buyers?
Yes. Export is a deliberate part of the company's growth, and orders are packed and graded to destination spec. Write to us in English or Arabic — both are working languages at the commercial office.
Also at El Shams
The rest of the line
Send us the spec.
Fibre, weight, quantity and target shade — we come back with a lead time and a price, usually within two working days.
Request a quote