Second Egyptian exhibition in Erbil hopes to attract more opportunities

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Egypt opened its second commercial exhibition in Erbil on Sunday, offering homemade products and business opportunities.

Egypt lunched its first exhibition in Erbil in 2013, which officials said did not lead to a major improvement in trade between the two sides, which are hoping to attract more visitors this time round.

According to the Erbil Chamber of Commerce total annual trade between Kurdistan and Egypt is just over $100 million, which is miniscule in comparison to the multi-billion dollar trade between Kurdistan and neighboring Iran and Turkey.

“We think that Egypt has a comparably advanced industrial sector which we try to learn from and even sign long-term contracts with,” said Kurdish Minister of Industry and Business, Samal Sardar.

The exhibition will continue for nine days, representing 100 companies in different sectors from electronics to furniture and clothing.

The launch of the Egyptian exhibition coincides with a decline in economic growth in Kurdistan, due to reduced oil prices and the war with militant jihadists along the region’s border.

“Egypt has the experience in reviving the economy and we hope the two countries can exchange knowledge in this regard,” Egyptian Minister of Development Khaled Hanafi told Rudaw at the exhibition.