From field to fabric: the Egyptian textile industry

Egyptian cotton travels to finished fabric through the same steps as any cotton – growing, picking, ginning, spinning, weaving and finishing. What sets it apart is where those steps happen and the raw material they work with.

The field

The Egyptian Cotton Association's November 2025 overview divides Egyptian varieties by region into the Nile Delta (for example Giza 86, 94 and 97, and the extra-long-staple Giza 92 and 96) and Upper Egypt (Giza 95). For a long time cultivation was governed by the annual Nile flood; since 1970 the Aswan Dam has regulated it.

According to the association, all cotton bearing the Egyptian Cotton™ trademark is picked by hand. Hand picking puts less strain on the fibre than machine harvesting and helps preserve its length – though you should treat this as a claim by the association that promotes the brand.

From fibre to yarn

After picking, the fibre is ginned – separated from the seeds – and pressed into bales. Fine cottons are then combed to remove the short fibres and spun into a fine, strong yarn. That yarn is woven into plain-weave fabrics (percale, poplin), twills and sateens for bed linen.

The textile town

The symbol of the Egyptian textile industry is El-Mahalla El-Kubra – the largest city of Gharbia Governorate and of the whole Delta, on the west bank of the Damietta branch of the Nile, about 80 km north of Cairo. In 1927 a group of Egyptian businessmen working with Banque Misr, among them the economist Talaat Harb, founded the Misr Spinning and Weaving company here. Today it is described as Egypt's largest state-owned textile company, with more than 25,000 employees.

The mill also has a place in modern history: strikes by its workers from 2006 onwards are linked to the unrest that culminated in the 2011 revolution.

Why this matters when you buy

Egyptian cotton is also exported and processed in spinning mills and weaving mills outside Egypt – the Egyptian Cotton Association lists licensed manufacturers in many countries. The origin of the fibre and the place where the fabric was made are therefore two different things. The Egyptian Cotton™ trademark follows the whole chain; for details see How to tell genuine Egyptian cotton.

Weaves in this article

Plain weave 1/1 alternation Each weft thread passes alternately over and under one warp thread; the next row does the opposite. The most interlacing points of any weave, so the cloth is firm and matt. warp on top weft on top (weave draft on the right)

2/2 twill Shifts by one thread every row The thread passes over two and under two, and each row moves along by one thread – producing a diagonal ladder. warp on top weft on top (weave draft on the right)

Fabric passport

Fabric Passport No. FALA-01

Egyptian cotton

Gossypium barbadense

Origin: Egypt, mainly the Nile Delta
Fibre: Long-staple and extra-long-staple cotton (Giza varieties)
Type: natural plant fibre
Feel: Smooth and fine, with a subtle lustre when spun into a fine yarn
Breathability: High – the cellulose fibre absorbs moisture and breathes well
Durability: High – long fibres make a yarn that is both fine and strong
Best for: Bed linen, shirts, towels
Care: Usually machine washable; depends on the weave, finish and dye – follow the label

Relative tendencies how we rate

Softness

Breathability

Warmth

Drying speed

Durability

Easy care

Tendency to crease

An Egyptian origin does not by itself guarantee extra-long staple: Egypt also grows long-staple varieties. What matters is the variety, the yarn and the weave.