Veronafiere becomes part of the Italian-Egyptian Business Council

Created in 2006 to witness the excellent relations between Italy and Egypt and to encourage greater economic integration between the two countries by supporting the growth of trades, investments and joint ventures, the Italian-Egyptian Business Council is a is a non-profit, non-governmental organization composed of a selected number of business leaders representing various trade sectors for each of the two countries.

Veronafiere has been officially welcomed to the board of the Italian-Egyptian Business Council , whose members are, for the Italian side, Ferrovie dello Stato (the industrial holding managing the Italian railway sector through its companies focused on specific businesses), Cotonificio Albini, Intesa Sanpaolo, IEOC (International Egyptian Oil Company)/ENI Egyptian Branch (integrated energy company, committed to growth in the activities of finding, producing, transporting, transforming and marketing oil and gas), Bombardier Transportation Italia, Telecom Italia Sparkle, Villanova Egypt, Edison, Italcementi, Pirelli & C. S.p.A., Settemari S.p.A., Salcef S.p.A., Mapei/Vinavil, Technip Italy S.p.A., and, for the Egyptian side, among the others, Taqa Arabia Group, El Sewedy Electric, Saint Gobain, Suez Cement, Bank of Alexandria. The Business Council is held at least twice a year, alternatively in the two countries.

The Council aims to provide a forum for discussion on strategic topics in order to expand and strengthen the cooperation between Italy and Egypt by boosting the development of economic and cultural relations between the two States. Veronafiere's participation in this important forum along with Italian and Egyptian institutions and big companies that have long operated in Egypt (Veronafiere is the only Italian organizer of exhibitions that has planned events in the country) will be a unique opportunity to promote business chances for Italian companies through trade fairs.

(For more information: www.ispionline.it/en/research-sub-area/italian-egyptian-business-council and www.iebcouncil.com)

Positive signs of recovery: restarting of the works in the building sector in Egypt

1.000.000 housing units in Egypt thanks to the agreement signed by Arabtec Holding

Arabtec Holding PJSC, a leading engineering and construction group specialized in complex projects in the Middle East and North Africa region, has recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Egyptian Ministry of Defense and Military Production. As part of the memorandum, Arabtec Holding's subsidiaries will develop and construct 1 million housing units in 13 locations across Egypt. This is in line with the plans of the Egyptian authorities to provide affordable housing for Egyptians, as part of the efforts to reduce the housing deficit as a result of the growth in the country's population.

The projects will be funded, in the most part, by a number of Egyptian and foreign banks that have already expressed interest in providing a range of affordable financing solutions to a broad cross-section of the Egyptian population and that include long-term repayment of up to 20 years.
(Source: Arabtec Holding)

Signed a deal - USD 90 million - for the construction of a new hospital by 2017

Aria Healthcare L.L.C., a subsidiary of American Hospital Management Company (AHMC), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Index Healthcare Management L.L.C. to construct a $90mn tertiary-care hospital in Egypt.

INDEX Healthcare Management, a subsidiary of INDEX Holding, an Emirati national company, will be assigned as the project manager for the design and construction of the Egyptian American Medical Centre (EAMC). Due diligence and the development of a definitive agreement will occur in the coming months.

EAMC will be a tertiary-care specialised 182-bed hospital, and a multi-disciplinary cancer centre. It will also include a medical office building that can host 100-physicians' offices.

The interior of the hospital spans more than 38,000m2 across five floors, including seven state-of-the-art operating rooms, a top-tier 20-room emergency department and a Level IIIB Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Work on the project will commence in 2015, on three phases. The two companies anticipate the hospital to open its doors by 2017.
(Source: Construction Week)

Marmomacc Stone Academy - "Designing with natural stone Egypt 2014"

After the success of the first edition of the course which took place during Vitória Stone Fair/Marmomacc Latin America 2014, one of the most important events in the world dedicated to marble and natural stone, held in Vitória, Brazil, from 18 to 21 February 2014, the education program of Marmomacc Stone Academy comes to Egypt. "Designing with natural stone Egypt 2014", the course for architects and designers organized by Marmomacc in collaboration with RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects, which will release the credits that will be granted to participants), it's scheduled from 10 to 13 December, as part of MS Africa & Middle East. The course includes visits to quarries and to leading Egyptian companies of stone processing. Intensive the work sessions in the classroom with lectures on "The World of Natural Stone: Geology, Sourcing, Selection, Testing, & Processing", "Conservation and restoration of historical buildings", "Specifying stone materials - the right stone for the right project", "How to overcome and How to choose the Egyptian Marble for the best Application". According to the well-established and accredited formula, the lectures will alternate with a guided walking tour visiting MS Africa & Middle East 2014 to discover the most interesting international materials and the innovative technologies for the processing of marble.

Veronafiere is the only trade exhibition organizer that provides specific continuing professional development courses to architects, recognized by the most prestigious international professional associations, and has been doing so continuously for the last 15 years. Veronafiere became an AIA (American Institute of Architects) continuing education provider in 1998, offering a four-day course for US-based architects, held during Marmomacc. Veronafiere/Marmomacc has also been recognized as a provider of educational courses by SAIA (South African Institute of Architects), RAIC (Royal Architectural Institute of Canada), RIBA and AIA (Australian Institute of Architects).

International Buyers Program

The International Buyers Program is another effective tool made available by Veronafiere for both exhibitors and buyers of MS Africa & Middle East. Qualified international buyers from Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, South Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Congo, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Russia, Algeria, Jordan , Lebanon, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Turkey, Egypt will be present in MS Africa & Middle East.

The International Buyers Program will increase the internationality of the event and will create unique opportunities for exhibitors to get in touch with distributors/importers, construction companies, design/architecture studios and international end-users. Egypt is a major hub that offers the possibility to export, with great customs benefits, in the most important African markets.