WHAT HAPPENED AT EGYPT 8TH BUILDERS FORUM
Egypt’s Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly inaugurated, on Sunday morning 28-5-2023, the eighth edition of Builders of Egypt Forum, “the largest event in the construction and building sector”, under the theme “Egypt’s Propitious Momentum towards Construction Sector Exportation Regionally”, with the participation of Arab and African delegations in collaboration with the Saudi Contractors Authority.
This edition is co-organized by The African Federation of Construction Contractors Associations “AFCCA”, With the participation of The Saudi Contractors Authority (SCA), and Exlnt Communications, an affiliate of Unites Media (UMS).
The forum is attended by an extended ministerial delegation and over 300 executive leaders from major contracting, real estate development, finance institutions, and local and regional business organizations.
This edition of the Builders of Egypt Forum hosted Saudi Arabia as a guest of honor, in line with its extensive developments plans, which represent a great potential for the construction sector in the future. The Saudi delegation is headed by Zakaria Al-Abdul Qader, president of the Saudi Contractors Authority (SCA).
This year’s edition reviews the regional comprehensive development plans, and the roadmap to construction mega projects for stimulating the private sector’s role in the construction projects abroad, including infrastructure, construction, construction, energy, technological structure, as well as exporting the contracting services regionally.
The forum offers an opportunity for the governmental entities and concerned entities to present their visions about resuming the comprehensive and sustainable development projects, in support of these sectors.
The forum sessions highlight the support for facilitating the export of the construction services, building materials, and other feeding industries. It also showcased the Egyptian experience with regard to infrastructure, and smart cities. It also highlighted the competitive edge of the Egyptian companies to participate in the market abroad. This is in addition to the mechanisms for fulfilling the latest specifications that were recently issued locally and regionally. The forum also offered unique networking opportunity for all the attendees to establish new partnerships.
It also highlights the opportunities for Egyptian companies to participate in infrastructure development, construction projects, energy, and technological infrastructure, in line with Egypt’s modern economic transformation under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister, witnessed, on Sunday morning 28-5-2023, the opening ceremony of the “Builders of Egypt 2023” Forum in its eighth edition under the slogan “Egypt’s promising opportunities to export the construction industry to the countries of the region”.
The opening ceremony was attended by Dr. Mohamed Shaker, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy; Dr. Assem Al Jazzar, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities; Ms. Nevine Al-Kabbaj, Minister of Social Solidarity; Ambassador Suha Jundi, Minister of State for Migration and Egyptian Affairs Abroad; Engineer Hassan Abdel Aziz, President of the African Union of Construction Contractors Organizations; and Engineer Zakaria bin Abdul Rahman Al-Abed Al-Qadir, Chairman of the Saudi Contractors Authority, with the participation of a number of heads of Arab and African delegations, ambassadors, senior officials and representatives of the private sector.
The Eighth Edition of Builders of Egypt Forum honoured three key construction industry leaders for their outstanding efforts to revive the sector in the region.
The awards went to Zakaria Al-Abdul Qader, President of the Saudi Contractors Authority (SCA); Hassan Abdel Aziz, Chairman of the African Federation for Construction Contractors’ Association (AFCCA); and Ali Senafi, President of the Federation of Arab Contractors.
The Prime Minister stressed that his keenness to participate in the opening of this forum reflects the government’s support for the direct role it plays in building partnerships that contribute to pushing the construction movement in the region, as a cornerstone for continuing the development efforts witnessed by many countries. This shall be with enhancing the participation of the Egyptian private sector in these efforts based on its extensive experience in this field.
Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity Nivine El-Kabbag called for the African continent to better make use of its enormous wealth in the light of the current global economic downturn caused by the Ukrainian war, which resulted in higher prices and increased poverty rates.
According to El-Kabbag, Africa holds 40 percent of the world’s gold, 90 percent of the world’s chrome and platinum, 12 percent of oil, eight percent of natural gas, as well as 65 percent of agricultural land.
She concluded her statement by saying that countries should focus on their 2065 vision and not just the 2030 vision.
El-Kabbag referred to the fact that women represent 66 percent of Africa’s workforce, while only having 1 percentage of ownership. Additionally, African women’s contribution to production represents 50 percent while their gain represents only 10 percent.
Egyptian firms were prioritised for funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB), with Egypt’s ability to transfer its expertise in contracting to the African and Arab countries
She also stressed on three pillars that currently need to be focused on; workforce protection, economic women empowerment, and cooperative unions.
“The number of non-regular employment in contracting is still on the rise, and we need to protect their rights, by improving social and health insurance, and protecting the rights of migrant workers and their right of equal opportunities and equal pay,” el-Kabbaj added.
El-Kabbaj stressed on the importance of cooperative unions in the social housing field, which Egypt is currently focusing on, by increasing its number by 3,300 units.
President of African Federation for Construction Contractor’s Associations (AFCCA), Hassan Abdelaziz highlighted on Sunday the volume of Egypt’s recent construction investments in Africa.
The African Federation has managed to attract projects of around $69,615 billion for Egyptian construction firms in different African countries. These investments are seen to reflect the AFCCA’s efforts to support Egyptian construction firms and increase their competitiveness regionally and globally.
Abdelaziz also stressed the fact Egypt has witnessed huge urban expansion in a limited time. Such expansion is perceived to result naturally from comprehensive policies contributing to development, investment attraction, achieving security and stability. Delegates attending the forum visits executed and ongoing projects in Al Galala city, he added.
Ambassador Mohamed El-Badry, Assistant of Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, talked about the importance of the construction and building sector in the mitigation of economic crisis.
He also talked about the important role Egyptian embassies play in African countries calling them “eyes” that can see the different needs of the countries.
The Egyptian official further emphasised the importance of the governments’ support for investments in the construction and building fields, since they are the most important fields for economic development.
He talked about Egypt’s role in the construction of the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Plant and Dam in Tanzania, the largest edifice built by Egyptian hands outside the country, highlighting the dam’s role in economic development in Africa.
Dina Abdel Fattah, Secretary-General of Builders of Egypt Forum, talked about the important role of the Egyptian willpower in supporting the private sectors contributions in the development.
She said that the forum has kicked off amidst global economic and financial uncertainties that led to witnessing worldwide abrupt, bold, and strong fiscal policies. Such these policies had impacted on global economy in general and on the emerging markets’ sustainable development plans in particular, she added.
“Egypt has a major contracting sector that has created, over the past few years, a legacy that deserves to be preserved through the implementation of government plans aimed at creating a comprehensive development transition,” Abdel Fattah stated.
She also added that Egypt, through its major contracting firms, contributed to the establishment of 15 new fourth generation (4G) cities.
She concluded her speech by mentioning Egypt’s efforts to develop facilities, ports, infrastructures, services, and roads, with the Egyptian contracting companies implementing the ambitious governmental plans.