'Destination Africa' exhibition opens Saturday

CAIRO –11 November 2017: Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail inaugurated on Saturday the second edition of the "Destination Africa" exhibition for readymade clothes in Cairo, a statement from the International Labor Organization (ILO), the event’s organizer, said.

More than 75 companies will be participating in the exhibition that provides an opportunity to increase Egypt's exports to international markets and attract more investment in the textile sector, creating new jobs. The conference will run from November 11-12.

The participating companies are coming from various African countries including Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana.

Ismail said during the inauguration that Egypt is keen on reaching out to Africa in light of the importance it attaches to the continent, state news agency MENA reported.

The state is keen on renovating public spinning and weaving companies, as well as state-owned and private weavers, Ismail added.

He further said that the production of long staple cotton will be expanded, noting that 128 companies owned by the public business sector are being renovated to boost production.

In its second edition, Destination Africa 2017 will discuss ways to boost the textile industry in the continent under standardized benchmarks for trade in Africa, the statement said.

The textile sector is one of the most promising sectors in Egypt as it contributes 34 percent to industrial output; it also provides jobs for up to 1.5 million workers.

The three-year-old exhibition is organized by the International Labor Organization (ILO), in collaboration with Egyptian textiles export councils, among others.