Minister of Industry Khaled Hashem stressed that the furniture industry is one of Egypt’s longstanding industries, with a rich history and an internationally recognized reputation, supported by promising competitive advantages and capabilities that qualify it to achieve unprecedented growth rates.
He noted, however, that the sector has yet to reach its desired potential compared with the scale of its actual capabilities.
The minister underscored the need to build a distinctive identity for Egyptian furniture and strengthen links between designers and manufacturers, particularly as design represents significant added value in the furniture industry. He also stressed the importance of developing skilled artisans to ensure consistent quality and maintain the competitiveness of Egyptian products in both domestic and international markets.
The remarks came during an expanded meeting held by the Hashem on Saturday with a number of furniture manufacturers, designers and producers of production inputs. The meeting was attended by Assistant Minister for Industrial Policies Maha Saleh, Federation of Egyptian Industries Deputy Chairman Mahmoud Serag, and Federation of Egyptian Industries Executive Director Khaled Abdel Azim.
The meeting aimed to hear the views and requirements of industry stakeholders, identify challenges facing the sector, and discuss ways to develop the industry and enhance its competitiveness both domestically and internationally.
Hashem said the ministry has adopted a working approach based on direct partnership and field-level engagement with experts and stakeholders across various productive sectors, with the aim of identifying actual needs and real-world challenges based on practical experience and translating them into clearly defined, actionable plans.
He explained that the ministry’s current vision seeks to keep pace with advanced global developments and achieve qualitative leaps in the volume of Egyptian exports.
The minister pointed out that the ministry had recently intensified field visits to a large number of furniture factories and manufacturing centers to assess production performance and identify mechanisms capable of translating the sector’s competitive advantages into tangible positive returns reflected in increased production capacity and improved quality standards.
The meeting reviewed a number of key areas for developing the furniture industry, including deepening local manufacturing and replacing imports in major projects, as well as activating digital platforms for marketing and supporting access to foreign markets under an integrated strategy aimed at ensuring sustainable growth.
Participants also discussed ways to open new export markets for Egyptian furniture, particularly in African markets, Libya and Iraq, in addition to working to overcome customs and logistical obstacles facing exporters. Such measures would contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of Egyptian products and strengthening their access to foreign markets.
The meeting also addressed the possibility of developing a comprehensive program to support small and medium-sized workshops operating in the furniture sector by providing specialized training courses to raise the efficiency of technical workers, alongside establishing governance, oversight and quality-control mechanisms to ensure that these workshops comply with standards and specifications.
The participants also reviewed a study on the feasibility of establishing qualified, integrated industrial zones dedicated to furniture manufacturing, bringing together various production inputs and complementary industries in one location — from wood, foam, glass and metals to research and development centers and logistics services.
Such zones would help reduce logistical costs and facilitate manufacturing operations for investors and manufacturers.
The Industry Minister stressed that upgrading national products to compete on global markets is a key objective requiring concerted efforts by various state institutions in cooperation with private-sector implementation partners.
He underscored the importance of integrating all components of the industry, from design, manufacturing, skilled labor and production inputs to marketing and exports.
Furniture manufacturers and designers welcomed the government’s decision to form a committee for giving preference to local products, chaired by the Ministry of Industry, affirming that the move would have a direct and positive impact on supporting the growth of the national furniture industry and enhancing its competitiveness.
Participants also praised the Ministry of Industry’s approach of maintaining direct, field-level communication with manufacturers and its commitment to listening to the challenges facing the sector and working to translate them into serious and actionable mechanisms.
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