The future of the building materials industry and its contribution to the “New Egypt” will be greatly impacted by green building, Dalia Sadany, founding chairperson of the ASDA Sustainable Development Association, said on Wednesday, in the first edition of Egypt Building Materials Summit (EBMS) in Cairo.
The leading EBMS event, organised by Verve Management UAE, will last until Thursday with the participation of local and regional experts in the construction industry, and key speakers from leading operators, top solution providers, and academics to discuss ideas to promote this sector.
Sadany pointed out that Egypt does not currently have an architecture identity, adding, “I don’t vote for globalisation. There is no architecture identity wherever you are.”
Egypt’s Strategy for Sustainable Development, or Vision 2030, was not Sadany’s big concern as she targets a 100-year vision, suggesting the use of eco-friendly building materials.
She asked the government to support companies and researchers in the building materials industry. She added that her call does not mean stopping the import of raw materials for steel and cement factories, “but we are looking for a more substantial solution.”
Additionally, Sadany recommended conducting further detailed studies for macroplanning in Egypt rather than microplanning, and supporting youth to work in such projects which will enhance small and medium-sized industries and meet the local market’s needs.
Noha Bakr, director of the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI), said, “We are not exporting cement because our prices are high,” noting that Egyptian cement’s prices are not competitive compared to Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Egypt’s cement exports reached 278,000 tonnes in 2016, 1.23m tonnes in 2017, and 589,000 tonnes in the first eight months of 2018, Bakr said.
Noteworthy, Bakr stressed that Egypt’s cement market is heavily oversupplied.
