Business Overview
Egypt is one of the most prosperous economies of Africa and Cairo in every
respect is the center of Egypt. Besides providing home to more than one
quarter of all Egyptians, the city also is home to majority of the nation's
commerce.
Being the capital city, Cairo is blessed with all the facilities or enjoys
all the advantages a city could or should have. The city houses great
majority of publishing houses, media outlets and nearly all film studios
along with half of the nation's hospital beds and universities. Further the
ever-increasing population has fueled rapid construction in the city, making
it a bustling modern hub with rows of stylish skyscrapers and office
buildings.
In addition to oil and gas sectors, tourism too is one of the main economic
sectors of the city as well as the country. With the institution of
privatization programs, the government has committed itself to the
implementation of reforms requested its international donors. While the
Cairo and Alexandria Stock Exchange in the city provides investment
opportunities for local and offshore investors, the venues like Cairo
International Convention & Exhibition Center on the other hand provide
city with various trade opportunities. Whereas, expos like Cairo Tex and
Stonex Cairo allure much business to the city.
Further, despite of the volatility of the location of Cairo, trade has
still continued successfully with partners like United States, Italy,
France, Greece, Germany and United Kingdom.
Major Business Centers
Cairo International Convention & Exhibition Center (CICC):
Consisting of three exhibition halls, CICC has total 15,000m2 of space with
floor area of 8000 m2 and loading floor of 1,000 kg/m2. The Exhibition
Complex of the center is connected to the main building by a bridge.
On the Mezzanine level of the Complex there are 5 offices that can be used
by organizers, a large meeting room which can accommodate up to 120 people
equipped with simultaneous translation, discussion and sound systems and a
cafeteria.
Major Commercial Areas
Downtown Cairo:
Located to the northeast of Tahrir Square, Downtown Cairo is the commercial
heart of the city. Its central location makes it together with Midan Tahrir,
a natural jumping off point for exploration of the modern city
Cairo.
Downtown features many small hotels, retail outlets, travel agencies and
number of Egyptian department stores and restaurants. Today the district has
also become the place to go for cheap fakes and local produce of variable
quality and the full range of Arabic pop music (and films).
Some of the known shopping spots of the district are Talaat Harb Mall,
Sednaoui's, Sharia Shawarby Street and Madbouli, Midan Talaat Harb.
Zamalek:
Zamalek is small district of Cairo located on Gezira Island. It is an
affluent commercial as well as residential area with many embassies, offices
of many multinational firms and ambassador's residences as well.
Also located here are the Cairo Tower, number of hotels, American
University in Cairo (AUC), the Cairo Opera House and a famous country club.
Midan Tahrir (Tahrir Square):
Midan Tahrir is the name given to a large public square at the epicenter of
modern Cairo. It also includes many streets and institutions located nearby.
Besides several important government offices, the square also possesses the
Egyptian Museum, the Arab League and the Hilton & Intercontinental
Hotels and much more. the district also a transportation center as Cairo
Metro has its main nexus here besides a great many buses and taxes also make
Tahrir Square a key part of their services.
Also bordering the Square to the east is a sizable frontage of large office
buildings and stores topped with neon signs. This relatively open vista of
Tahrir Square grants the visitors a great opportunity to look about and gain
some bearings within the bustling city center.
Major Manufacturing Zones
Shoubra El- Kheima:
Constructed in 1871, Shoubra is one of the old villages of Cairo, which
today has grown into a huge industrial area. Its original name was Shobra;
a Coptic word meaning heap or hill and Shoubra province was its capital.
Today it is considered a small city divided into west Shoubra EL- Kheimaand
and east Shoubra El- Kheima districts. It has many factories for spinning
and textiles, porcelain, glass, crystal, rubber, chemical &
metallurgical industries, paper, electrical equipment besides the huge
electrical station.
A huge old oil refinery is also there which is Cairo Company for oil
refinery".