There are two ways to approach the vast world of global trade. You could do what has always been done, carry out business as usual, and hope nothing rocks the boat.

But that’s not what we do. We never wanted to be businessmen; we wanted to be visionaries. At Dexpro, we push farther, dream bigger, and see what others don’t. 

In every product, we see its fullest potential, and what we can do to take it the farthest it can go. In every hurdle, we see the chance to creatively solve a problem like it hasn’t before. And in every crisis, we see massive opportunities. The world of global trade is gigantic, with things changing every day and the chance to innovate around every corner.  

Right now, global trade is filled with people worrying about what comes next. But we know this is an exhilarating time for the industry, where innovation is integral and survival is about being bold. We have always prided ourselves on being agile, versatile, and brave enough to take the risks others are too afraid of. Now, the world of global trade is changing, and we’re here to lead the charge.

In 1982, when I was just a freshman at the Faculty of Commerce, I took a job in quality control at Elkishky Establishment. As I became more and more engrossed in the work of the biggest exporter of herbs and spices at the time, what had seemed like a simple extracurricular job turned my world upside down. Day by day, as I learned what makes a truly high quality product, my initial gut feeling grew: that this is what I was meant to do.

I owe everything Dexpro is, and everything I am, to the company’s founder, the late Mr. Mokhtar Elkishky, who was my teacher, mentor, godfather, and stepfather. A titan of industry, he took it upon himself to take a young man just starting out under his wing. He saw something in me, despite my age and inexperience. For three years, he invested his time, energy, and resources into teaching me the nuts and bolts of the industry, with the wisdom I would continue to count on even decades later.

Even in the 1980s, he had the foresight to know the challenges coming to face the industry, and he made sure I had all the tools to rise through the wave and land at the top of the field. Through his endless intellect, generosity, and love, I learned all I know today. Every success that Dexpro has is dedicated to the man whose legacy we carry. Every decision, every achievement, every stride we make to change Egypt’s standing in the landscape of international trade, is thanks to him.

In 1985, I established my first exporting company, EGYSPICE, mainly exporting herbs and spices to western markets. In 1989, I became the youngest member of the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA).

Within a decade, we had grown to amount to over 40% of German imports of herbs and spices, while we controlled the entire Canadian market for over five years. 

I had built a powerful team that had achieved strong metrics of success. But the horizon is always wider the farther you go, and particularly in this industry, there is always more to come. In 1996, I established Basics International Trade with a more advanced operational infrastructure. We became the third largest company in the Egyptian market, and the first company in the Middle East to hold ISO certification in the field of exporting herbs and spice.

Our biggest challenge came in 2000, when a nationwide pesticide problem wiped outmost herb and spice fields in Egypt. The blow might have been disastrous, but we did what we always do: take a step back, reassess, and come back far stronger. Every crisis is an opportunity, and we took ours. 

By 2004, we had completed our pivot away from the Egyptian market, establishing ourselves in the international arena by exporting seeds and herbs from Europe to the United States, as well as from Canada to South Korea and Japan. This would later extend in 2008 to exporting animal feed from the United States, Canada, and the Middle East.

In 2016, the Egyptian Central Bank announced the floatation of the Egyptian pound, immediately devaluing the currency on the international market. Immediately, Egyptian goods and products that had been wallowing away in local silos were able to compete strongly in global markets. The growth was tremendous, with Egypt’s exporting volume reaching a record USD 31 billion in 2021.

It was in this moment of fervour that Dexpro International Trade and Export came to be, in November 2018. We know how critical this time is. Ambitious, curious, and experienced, we are putting our four decades of industry-leading expertise to use, with the goal of pushing Egypt’s exports to USD 50 billion by 2030. The potential is there, and we are committed to pushing it farther.