Organisers of
The recent record-breaking Marmomacc event was chosen for the first mission abroad by the Egyptian Minister for Industry and Trade, Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, and its organiser Veronafiere will become the first international organisation present in Cairo with MS Africa & Middle East, which is scheduled to run from 11-14 December, 2014.
The visit to Italy by Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour is said to have seen Italy and Egypt consolidate an important commercial axis, especially for the Egyptian marble and granite industry worth over US$2.5 billion (€1.85 billion), where exports of Italian machinery and technology grew by 40% in the first four months of 2013.
"Egypt is on the road towards normalisation," said the Minister.
“The economy is picking up, with an infrastructure investment plan in excess of €30 billion, growing exports and balance of payments in the black. The visit to Marmomacc is very important with a view to the international exhibition for the world of natural stone and building machinery scheduled next year in Cairo thanks to Veronafiere."
The first edition of MS Africa & Middle East is the new event organised by Veronafiere with the objective of taking the marble and construction industries to Cairo through two successful brands, Marmomacc and
“Egypt confirms its status as one of the most important trading partners for Italy in the Mediterranean area: first in Europe and third worldwide,” said Giovanni Mantovani, the CEO & director general of Veronafiere.
“Veronafiere will be the first international operator present in Cairo next autumn with a new show appointment for the building sector. This initiative also opens a window for other partnerships in strategic areas for us, such as agriculture, agricultural engineering and food. It is confirmation of what was emphasised in the presence of Deputy Minister Calenda, namely that international exhibitions are indispensable instruments for the industrial and export policy of the country."
During his visit to the 48th Marmomacc the Egyptian Minister, accompanied by the Egyptian Consul in Milan, Nasser Hamed, and the director of the ICE Office in Cairo, Massimo Sponzilli, visited the 41 Egyptian companies taking part in the event and met Italian entrepreneurs to outline investment opportunities in the country.
Egyptian business associations were also present, with the president of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, Ahmed Elwakil, and the president of the Industrial Development Authority, Mahmoud Elgarf.
"Egypt is an important market for Italian exports, here achieving an annual value of €3.5 billion, not to mention the fact that it is the most populous African country and plays a leading role within the Arab world. Working with Egypt means opening possible business opportunities in the rest of Africa, such as in Libya for the reconstruction of the country, and in the Middle East," said Massimiliano Sponzilli, director of the ICE office in Cairo.
Quarrying and processing stone in Egypt have ancient origins, as evidenced by the Pyramids of Giza. Today, the country is among the top ten world producers of marble and granite.
According to data provided by the ICE Office in Cairo, current investments in the Egyptian marble industry come to around US$2.5 billion (€1.85 billion). Italy is the second largest supplier to Egypt of machinery and tools for processing granite and marble, worth US$29 million (€21.5 billion) in 2012, with a market share of 20.6%.
In the period January-April 2013, Italy took first position by almost doubling its exports to Egypt from $12 million (€9 million) in the same period in 2012 to $23 million (€17 million), an increase of about 40%.
