A delegation from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) has visited Egypt’s Robiki Leather City to follow up on the latest developments in the city.
During the visit, the Italian delegation also reviewed the possibilities of benefiting from AICS finance programmes that will go towards improving services provided to leather tanning and manufacturing projects in the city.
Mahmoud Mehrez, Chairperson and board member of Cairo for Investment and Development (CID), called on the Italian side to provide support for projects in the city.
This includes the establishment of an equipped technological centre for finished products and a centre for design and fashion. In addition to this, a training centre for the Robiki Leather City’s third phase will be established in preparation for the establishment and operation of 100 final products factories.
For his part, AICS Director Martino Milli said that work is currently underway on a grant project, worth €3m, to develop a number of production projects in Egypt in the fields of leather, marble and furniture.
A total of €1m will go to support the establishment of 100 factories for finished products industries, in addition to a further €1m, which will be allocated to the manufacture of marble and granite in Shaq Al-Thoban area. A third allocation of €1m will be given to the manufacture of furniture in Damietta.
Milli said that a cooperation protocol is being prepared between the AICS and the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s technology centres, aimed at transferring advanced Italian expertise and industrial technologies to Egyptian industry.
The two sides also discussed ways to enhance cooperation between Egypt and Italy to develop the Damietta Furniture City, especially with regard to projects to equip the Furniture Technology Center and the Center for Design and Training.
Italy has previously provided support for the Robiki Leather City project, to establish infrastructure projects, a technological centre for leather tanning, and to develop technical support services. The support has also gone towards providing chemical and physical equipment and laboratories to obtain quality certificates, as well as provide excellent services to manufacturers.
