ITCE Cairo 2005, the ninth international exhibition for textile, embroidery and sewing machinery and accessories, inaugurated today (Thursday, May 12, 2005) at the Cairo Fair Ground in Egypt, with great expectations towards Middle East and North Africa’s textile industries for exploring new business possibilities in the new free trade environment.
Organised by ACG-ITF, and held under the auspices of Eng. Rashid Mohamed Rashid, Egyptian Minister of Foreign Trade and Industry, ITCE’9 is the largest international trade fair for the textile industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The fair presents products and services, technologies and innovation, trends and tendencies for trade markets and acts as an international meeting point for textiles and related industry areas.
Speaking at the inauguration, Ahmad Ghozzi, Chairman, ACG-ITF said, “The significance of this edition of the trade fair is amplified, as this will be the first version of the show after the recent global changes represented in lifting of regional administrative, regulatory and fiscal constraints in parallel to the abolition of the international quota system early this year. Textile manufacturers and traders in the MENA region have been eagerly awaiting this show to explore opportunities that will arise during their interaction with textile industry experts who have gathered at the event, from around the world. To give the chance to more exhibitors to attend the event we added two temporary halls to the venue as an extension to the event planned space in order to cater for the needs of our exhibitors.”
“The exhibition this year covers an area of 25,000 m2. Exhibitors are joining from all over the world with particular interest in introducing the latest textile machinery technologies from the world’s leading manufacturers specifically from Germany, Japan, Italy, Turkey, India, China, USA, Malaysia, Korea, and Taiwan”, said Wael El Kady, ITCE’9 Project Manger
“The Egyptian textile industry, in particular, is the most dynamic in the whole region. The industry has been growing at an average rate of over 6.5 per cent annually. Egypt’s favourable geographic location and its accessibility by air, sea and road transportation gives it a strategic advantage while dealing with key markets in the MENA region. Equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, Egyptian textile industry is among the top ten export industries, accounting for 14 per cent of total exports,” said Rabab Ahmed, International Sales Manager at ACG-ITF.
“Since its launch in 1993, ITCE series are currently regarded as the ongoing opportunity to present new products, build a network with peers in the field, to meet with new buyers and potential partners. This year EASYTECH, one of the leading exhibitors at ITCE’9 is exhibiting the first Egyptian computerised embroidery machine, together with its indigenously developed software program. The software is made in Arabic to facilitate easy use in Arabian countries and to ensure maximum productivity and performance. Another attraction at the fair will be the hi-tech dyeing and laundry machines presented by German, Italian and Turkish companies. There will also be a significant presence of Turkish companies, representing various aspects of the textile industry”, El Kady added.
“The growing investment opportunities in the Egyptian market, particularly in the textile sector, has resulted in a surge of interest by investors to tap this market. After signing the Qualified Industrial Zone (QIZ) agreement last December and the initiative of the Egyptian government canceling all customs tariffs over textile machineries, Egyptian textile exports are expected to witness a major growth, reaching US$ 4 billion within the next five years,” said Ghozzi.
More than 480 companies from 31 countries are exploring the recent market opportunities turning up for this edition of the trade fair. In addition approximately 20,000 trade vistors are expected to attend the exhibition, making it one of the largest industrial trade events in the region.
During the four-day trade fair, exhibitors will have an opportunity to display their products ranging from large textile, yarn, carding and combing machines to dyeing machines as well as garment manufacturing & sewing machines, in addition to raw materials, chemicals and threads.
“Another factor that has contributed to generating substantial interest in ITCE 2005, is the increased adoption of latest technology machinery by textile manufacturers in the MENA region, to tackle the growing competition after the abolition of trade quotas. ITCE 2005 showcases the most advanced textile manufacturing machinery and accessories that will help participants make the right decision while choosing the equipments that best suit their operations. A number of business alliances and partnerships will be formed during the event,” concluded Ghozzi.
ACG-ITF is the largest international trade exhibitions organiser in the Middle East based in Egypt. It has been organising international exhibition brands like Plastex, the International exhibition for Plastics & Rubber Industries, ITCE Dubai 2004, and Automech, the biggest ‘Vehicles, Buses, Motor Workshops, Automobile Spare Parts and Accessories Exhibition’ in the region in addition to some other successful specialized international trade exhibitions.
